The View from Turn 3

Photoessay: One cold night of racing

2011-05-01T07:19:00.002-06:00

(Editor's Note: I have been watching at lot of the old Dragnet series lately...so I'll ask your indulgence this week. If you have never seen it, here's a brief example of what I mean:)

This is the speedway...Prescott Valley Raceway.
It's a nice place, if you like hot cars and flinging mud.
The track is a clay oval, 3/8ths of a mile around.
Every weekend during the season, up to a hundred cars show up here.
The drivers dream of taking home a trophy for their efforts.
Hundreds of fans come out, too, so they can be a part of the excitement.
When the green flag drops, I go to work.
I carry a camera.

The Newcomer

2011-04-24T07:56:00.002-06:00

Albert Heck is a newcomer to Prescott Valley Raceway. He’s been running at the track in Show Low, which is quite a hike for someone who lives down near Tucson. But now, he’s moved to Chino Valley and he’s looking forward to trying out the new track.

He’s late arriving, and misses the pill draw, so he’ll start in the back of the field. That’s not a major issue, since the field tonight is just six cars. But that's likely because Easter weekend, and, anyway, a lot of tracks aren't even open yet.

Al Heck arrives at the track

“We’ve watched them here while we were in the process of moving up here,” he says. “I think it’s going to be fun.” He and his wife, Bernice, unload his #55 Super Stock, a Camero, from their open trailer, and go to work on it.

“I raced at less than half the races at Show Low and ended up eleventh in points last year,” he adds. “I’m not fast, but I’m consistent.”

“It’s fun. We just do it for fun.”

They really move The Show quickly at PV Raceway. Once the track is “mudpacked,” by running the cars the wrong way on the track until a groove is created, they start hotlapping, and unlike at other tracks, there’s no messing around, no delays between classes.

It’s a cool and breezy April night; the fans in the stands bundle up with coats and blankets, but they are just as vocal as any other race fans.

Al Heck gets his first shot at the track during his hot laps, and he likes what he finds out there.

“I think it [the surface] is great. Compared to Show Low, I think it’s going to be a lot better track.”

He likes the fairly wet clay, saying, “My car handles real good when it’s wet.”

Unloading his 55 car

The Super Stocks are the first class to run heats, and Al Heck’s car starts in the back of row three and stays there for the duration of the five-lap heat. He’s clearly not used to the surface yet.

He starts in the back for the Main as well; there is no invert.

The 15-lap Main begins with the #11, David Wright , the pole-sitter, running strong out in front. He starts to fade a bit, and that opens the door for the 13 car of Buck Van Landingham to surge ahead and battle him for the lead.

Lap after lap, the 13 challenges Wright, on the outside in turns 1 and 2, then inside on turns 3 and 4. He pushes and shoves on the 11 car’s bumper, and tries to squeeze him down, but to no avail. The 11 is just too strong.

Or so it seems. Finally, coming out of turn 4, the 13 pours it on and breaks away, and Van Landingham takes the lead.

Heck, meanwhile is having trouble. His car just doesn’t have the power the others do, and he’s once again far back of the pack, struggling to keep up.

Once the 13 car takes the lead, others follow in rapid succession. Soon, Wright is running fourth.

At one point, it appears the 11 cars develops a left-front flat, but he keeps racing for a lap or two, and, even then, the 55 still can’t quite catch him. Finally, Wright leaves the track.

Your (first-time) winner

Van Landingham keeps up the pace, holds off Jimmy Montgomery in the 8 car and takes the checkers. He’s emotional in Victory Lane—this is his first trophy win. He remembers to thank his sponsors and family. There’s a fairly sizeable crowd assembled for his celebration, hooting and hollering.

As for Heck, he’ll be back. After all, he’s just down the road now. And consistency counts in racing.

Another Season Begins at Prescott Valley Raceway

2011-04-17T07:04:00.001-06:00

It is a sunny and warm day in Prescott Valley. That’s good, because last Saturday, it snowed, which forced the track to postpone practice. It’s been a long winter—they’re all long when it comes to racing—but this weekend, Prescott Valley Raceway is back in business.

It’s not a typical raceday at the 3/8th-mile dirt track; the pits open at 10am, and racing starts at noon. It’s essentially a practice day for several classes of cars, but the IMCA Modifieds are running a points race. The early schedule will allow the Modifieds to head down to Peoria’s Canyon Speedway Park for another race tonight. Two points races in one day are not usually allowed under IMCA rules, but they’ve made an exception for today.

Next week, they’ll be back to the usual Saturday night racing schedule.

The mood at the Raceway is a little unusual. Dianne Storm, wife of track owner Jim Storm, died of cancer about a month ago, and so, uncharacteristically, he’s not here today. The money made this weekend will go directly to Jim, who ended up paying for Dianne’s treatment out of his pocket.

That notwithstanding, the racers and crew are happy to be back at the track. General Manager Dee Crippen says that, although the car count may be a little low for this weekend’s event, they typically see up to 120 cars show up for a night of racing. Crippen has been running this track for six of the seven years Prescott Valley Raceway has been in existence.

Tech Supervisor Lenny Combs has been coming here since the facility opened. He (and his wife, Sandy) drive up from Phoenix each weekend to work the races. He says they used to work at the Peoria track, but, when philosophical differences came up between ownership and the couple, they moved on.

Sandy, the race coordinator, says they’ve been working races for 37 years. She counts among her experience Canyon Speedway (21 years), Manzanita Speedway (10 years), Tucson, Globe, and the failed West Valley project. She finds a refreshing attitude here and calls it “the most fun.”

Sandy Combs holds a drivers' meeting.

“I like it here,” she says. “This is more like the sportsmanship-hometown-not-big-time racing. Bigger tracks in town, you have more fights. These people appreciate what they have here.”

Sandy is, in a word, a character. Her sense of humor is well-honed after years of dealing with racers. It is, at times, self-deprecating, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes pointed at specific drivers. She’s clearly in her element.

She’s pleased with how the track has developed local competitors. “When I first came here, I told them, ‘You can’t depend on the out-of-town racers. You have to grow your own base,’ she says. “And they’ve done a really good job of that.”

The IMCA Modifieds have a reasonably full field for a Saturday afternoon: 11 cars, or two heats. When the Main comes around, #23, Jerry Clements runs away with it, starting on the pole and never letting go of the lead. His car runs just about the entire race on three wheels--the left-front wheel hangs in the air. The next three cars battle in a tight group for second, racing hard, but never come close to catching Clements.

The 23 car needs only three wheels to get the job done.

“If this is the way racing’s going to be this year, I might race all year,” he says afterwards.

"Hey, I'm the points leader!" he suddenly realizes.

2011 Prescott Valley Raceway Schedule

2011-03-24T08:12:00.002-06:00

April 9- Practice and Tech for all classes (10 a.m. gates open with practice to follow inspections)

April 16- 2nd annual Trophy Race/Practice for all classes(10 a.m. gates open - racing @ noon), IMCA Modified points race (winner will be on Fast Shaft All Star ballot)

April 23- NAPA Pure Stocks, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, NADCAR

April 30- IMCA Modifieds, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, AODC, Total Seal Modlites

May 7- NAPA Pure Stocks, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, AODC

May 14- NAPA Pure Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, NADCAR

May 21- IMCA Modifieds, NAPA Pure Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, Total Seal Modlites

May 28- IMCA Modifieds, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, AODC

June 4- $NAPA Pure Stocks, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, NADCAR

June 11- IMCA Modifieds, SCRA Factory Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks (Time Trials), AODC

June 18- Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, NADCAR, Total Seal Modlites

June 25- NAPA Pure Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, AODC, SWMLA

July 2- $IMCA Modifieds, SCRA Factory Stocks, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, Total Seal Modlites

July 3- $IMCA Modifieds, SCRA Factory Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, Total Seal Modlites

July 9- NAPA Pure Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars (Time Trials), AODC, ASCS2 Micro Sprints, Vintage Sprints

July 16- Birthday Race-IMCA Modifieds, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, NAPA Pure Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods (Main events only)

July 23- PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks (Time Trials), Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, AODC, Total Seal Modlites

July 30- SCRA Factory Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods, NADCAR, Total Seal Modlites

August 6- IMCA Modifieds, NAPA Pure Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, ASCS2 Micro Sprints

August 13- PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks (Time Trials), IMCA Sport Mods, AODC, Total Seal Modlites

August 20- NAPA Pure Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Mods, NADCAR, Total Seal Modlites

August 27- IMCA Modifieds, SCRA Factory Stocks Ward Gray Memorial, Super Stocks, NADCAR

September 3- NAPA Pure Stocks, $Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks Doug Clements Memorial, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, AODC, Total Seal Modlites

September 10- NAPA Pure Stocks (Time Trials), $U-Pick It Hobby Stocks Twin 25's, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, NADCAR

September 17- Total Seal Late Models, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, IMCA Sport Mods

September 24- IMCA Modifieds, NAPA Pure Stocks, PV Auto Brokers Super Stocks, AODC

October 1- NAPA Pure Stocks, Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, Iron King Auto Salvage Challenge Cup Sprint Cars, AODC, Total Seal Modlites

October 8- Able Saw and Tool Super Mini Stocks, U-Pick It Hobby Stocks, NADCAR, SWMLA

START TIMES

7:00pm thru Memorial Day

7:30pm thru Labor Day Then back to 7:00pm.

$ next to class means entry fee race

SWMLA-Southwest Modlite Association

NADCAR-Northern Arizona Dwarf Cars

AODC-Arizona Outlaw Dwarf Cars

SCRA-Stock Car Racing Association

IMCA-International Motor Contest Association

Cobb Gets Ride for California Race

2011-03-21T07:28:00.000-06:00

Jennifer Jo Cobb, who walked away from her NASCAR Nationwide Series ride when car owner Rick Russell told her to start-and-park on Saturday, has been picked up by Rick Ware Racing to drive their #41 Ford Mustang at Auto Club Speedway in California this week.

Cobb, 37, told reporters she was blindsided by a last-minute order from Russell to run four laps and park her car at Bristol last week. Russell claims she was told Friday along with the rest of the team and that, having just one car with no sponsorship, he had no choice.

The incident has sparked sharp criticism of Russell, who was forced to take down his 2nd Chance Racing Facebook page after negative comments overwhelmed it, and has generated very good publicity for Cobb, who fans see as a driver fighting back against the start-and-park procedure.

This deal with Rick Ware Racing is for just one race, but Cobb is looking for more help as she campaigns for NNS Rookie of the Year.

Cobb will still have to qualify on speed at California.

Each side is making allegations about the other, including breach of contract, attempted theft, and more. Cobb says she does not plan to pursue any legal action; Russell, however, is leaving the door open.

Jennifer Jo Cobb Walks Rather Than Start-and-Park

2011-03-19T19:05:00.005-06:00

The drama at Bristol Motor Speedway is usually on the half-mile track.

Saturday, it wasn't.

Jennifer Jo Cobb refused to participate in the race as a start-and-park driver as her car owner requested and walked away from the #78 car, along with her crew, minutes before the start of the Scotts EZ Seed 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

Cobb at Las Vegas

She claims she was told ten minutes before the race was to start that owner Rick Russell wanted her to leave the race early.

"I have made a commitment to my sponsors, my fans and NASCAR that I’m not a start-and-park driver. I’m really serious about this," said Cobb. "I have to work hard to prove to people that I’m serious about this."

Russell, owner of 2nd Chance Racing, says Cobb knew Friday morning, after a crew meeting she attended, that he wanted to save the car for the California race. He said the wreck they suffered last week at Las Vegas cost him $16,000 out-of-pocket; the team has just one car and no sponsors, and it "about broke me to get this car together." Since they were already entered, he says, he told the crew "We would qualify and we would make a few laps and then we would park the car and save it for California."

Russell alleges he was the one who was blindsided just before the race, when Cobb's crew chief, Steve Kuykendall, told him they'd bought tires and were assembling a crew in preparation for running the whole race. Russell had, in fact, left his crew at home, having the start-and-park plan in place.

"I told her if she didn’t come in like I told her to, I would have NASCAR black flag her and that would bring her off the track," Russell said.

She walked, along with the crew, leaving Russell with no driver.

“In that moment, I just made a decision that I don’t think I will ever regret," Cobb said."I just thank God He gave me the strength to just walk away because sometimes that is the best thing to do."

NASCAR allowed Russell to find another driver, which he finally did. Chris Lawson ran the planned four laps and retired the car.

Russell says Cobb breached her five-race contract by failing to supply motors for the cars, and that Cobb is out and Tim Andrews will drive the 78 car at California.

Meanwhile, Kuykendall took to Twitter to air his side of the story. First he Tweeted, "Jennifer jo cobb and I have officially parted ways with second chance motorsports after he tried to force us to start and park today at bristol!"

A few minutes later, he wrote, "Car owner rick russel threatened myself and anyone associated with jennifer with a jack handle in the pits!"

That allegation has yet to be proven.

Cobb hasn't done well in the Nationwide Series. She failed to qualify for Daytona, finished 31st in Phoenix, and 32nd in Las Vegas.

She says another team owner has pledged to help her. "This isn’t a case of me being a brat and just wanting to walk off the job and leave someone high and dry," she said. "I weighed all the risks and consequences and decided that integrity and principle meant more."

UPDATE: Here's Cobb's explanation from Youtube:

Tony Stewart Gambles, Loses to Edwards in Las Vegas

2011-03-06T16:46:00.005-07:00

Tony Stewart had a dominant car, led the most laps, and overcame a penalty only to lose to Carl Edwards on a pit-strategy gamble in the Kobalt Tools 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Sunday.

As the green flag dropped, pole-sitter Matt Kenseth struggled to stay up front, but soon Greg Biffle took it away and opened up the lead.

Officials threw a caution when Robby Gordon spun off of turn 4 by himself. Jeff Gordon did not pit, on direction from crew chief Alan Gustafson, and took the lead on the restart.

Kenseth nearly lost it due to a flat right-rear tire, but he recovered and pitted. That would be the beginning of the end for the 17 car, as he went to the back and a lap down.

Jeff Gordon restarted in front again, but this time, he was slow and was shuffled back six spots. Tony Stewart moved up front and soon had a ten-car lead over Kurt Busch, his closest challenger.

Stewart’s car was a rocket. He took off to a full straightaway lead and began putting cars a lap down, beginning with the hapless former pole-sitter, Matt Kenseth.

Landon Cassill and Joe Nemechek left the track by about lap 37; seems that Mr. Cassill is still starting-and-parking despite his “full time” sponsorship deal.

Stewart gave up a five-second advantage to pit under green on lap 51; when the stops cycled through, he once again took the lead.

On lap 79, Regan Smith came down pit road, the crew examined the engine, then closed the hood and sent the car behind the wall.

Tony Stewart continued to put cars—including some you might not expect—a lap down. Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr all fell to Stewart’s powerful 14 car. And again, he ran nearly three full seconds ahead of Kyle Busch in second.

Busch had a flat tire on the backstretch on lap 97 and had to limp around to his pit to avoid tearing the fender to pieces, losing 28 spots and going a lap down in the process. The bits of tire caused a debris caution.

In the pits, crew chief Dave Rogers sent Kyle Busch out with just two tires to save time, but the leader passed them, apparently because Rogers wasn’t watching. After a brief burst of anger over the radio, Busch came back in and got two more tires.

One lap after the restart, Kurt Busch spun as he tried to catch Stewart, but didn’t hit anyone else. Kasey Kahne also spun; it appeared to be a reaction to all the cars checking up. Busch took the blame, saying he had dialed in too much rear-brake bias.

Then, with a massive burst of flame, Kyle Busch’s car caught fire on lap 107.

“It's blowed up, guys. There's flames in my face,” he radioed, and drove right to the garage, his day over. The flames subsided, but the damage was done.

“Kablooey, it just broke,” said an uncharacteristically relaxed Busch afterwards."Fortunately, it’s still early enough in the year that we can bounce back” before the Chase.

David Gilliland in the 38 spun and hit the wall hard, setting his car on fire. The flames went out quickly, and Gilliland climbed out of the smoking wreckage. He was seen in the infield care center and released.

As he pitted under the caution, Stewart dragged an air-hose along with him and was penalized for removing equipment from the pit box. He was sent to the back of the pack, which was 24th position. That put Carl Edwards in the lead.

Kevin Harvick was pinched for a pit-road speeding infraction as he drove in, and, between that and Stewart’s problems, Junior moved into 4th.

Jeff Gordon blew a right front tire and drove into the turn 4 wall, demolishing the 24 car, on lap 196. He rolled slowly onto pit road before climbing out. That wreck allowed Matt Kenseth to finally claim the Lucky Dog and get back onto the lead lap.

As he left the infield care center, Gordon said, “The track kept tightening up and we couldn’t keep up with it, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to blow a tire and go into the wall.”

Tony Stewart rolled the dice and took just two tires for track position, a move he would ultimately regret. He re-took the lead, and once again, opened a wide lead over the second-place car, this time the 42 of Juan Pablo Montoya.

That same cycle of green flag stops, a four-tire change, the result of his earlier gamble, put Stewart in fourth, with Carl Edwards leading. Stewart struggled mightily, but simply could not do better than to close to second place.

Edwards celebrates in a storm of confetti in Victory Lane

Edwards, having won three of the last five Cup races, did his customary celebratory backflip, then credited his time with the USAF Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, with whom he flew earlier in the week, for the win: “They taught me a lot about discipline and believing in what you do and I can’t thank them enough.”

Stewart said, "I honestly think we had the car to beat, we just gave it away."

"Just shot ourselves in the foot two week in a row now," he concluded.

Stewart and Kurt Busch are now tied for the Sprint Cup points lead, but Stewart gets the nod for having more “higher” finishes.

Quaker State to be Title Sponsor for 2011 Kentucky NASCAR Race

2011-03-06T11:26:00.006-07:00

Since LVMS is one of Bruton Smith’s SMI properties, it only makes sense that the press event announcing that Quaker State would be the title sponsor for the inaugural Sprint Cup race at his Kentucky Raceway on July 9, 2011 would be held here.

The Media Center was packed for the event, but then again, there wasn’t much else going on at the time.

Mark Martin, who counts Quaker State as a sponsor, and Darrell Waltrip were among those making the announcement; Waltrip has been a paid consultant/advocate for the track for years.

Actually, the weekend will be a triple-header, hosting Camping World Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup races.

Darrell Waltrip explains how Smith improved the track.

“It took a long time and it took a lot of things to happen before we finally got a Cup race here, but the fans in Kentucky have been so patient,” said Waltrip, “and this is a great day for race fans in Kentucky.”

Smith’s well-known sense of showmanship played a major role in the project, Waltrip said. “Bruton came in and said, ‘We gotta fix this and we gotta fix that,’ and he spent a lot of money making Kentucky Speedway really nice.”

Waltrip said they already thought the place was nice and pointed to Smith’s suggestion that they move pit road. “’Why do you want to do that? It won’t make the racing any better,’” he recounted. “’No, but it’ll make the racing experience better,’” he said Smith told him.

That includes adding seats to the Sparta, Kentucky track. The total now is 117,000, up from 66,000 when SMI bought the place.

The lawsuit filed by former owners who felt slighted by NASCAR’s unwillingness to award the track a Cup race seemed far behind as the announcement was made. Jerry Carroll sold the facility to SMI in 2008, believing the 1.5-mile D-oval would never be given a race.

Smith announced the 2011 date in July, 2010.

Danica Patrick Finishes Fourth at Vegas, Sets Record

2011-03-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

Danica Patrick didn't win Saturday's Sam's Town 300 NASCAR Nationwide race, but she made history. And Kyle Busch had a dominant car, but threw away what looked like a certain win in the last quarter of the event, opening the door for Mark Martin to take the checkers.

Danica Patrick started 22nd in the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevy.

Carl Edwards took the pole with a fast lap of 29.699, or 181.824mph.

On lap 5, Josh Wise brought out the first caution when he drove through the infield after losing control and spinning on the frontstretch. The 39 car went airborne when it hit the paved section used for Legends car races, but stayed right-side-up.

Up front, Kyle Busch opened a wide lead over second-place Carl Edwards.

Patrick was running a good race: passing lots of cars, and running nearly the same lap time as leader Kyle Busch, but soon she was the last car on the lead lap, and then on lap 47, she went a lap down in 14th.

Indeed, Busch seemed poised to lap the entire field, but he made a green flag pit stop on lap 50.

As the stops cycled through, Patrick found herself 13th, the second car one lap down.

Busch went back to work lapping cars; by lap 60, there were just nine cars on the lead lap. On lap 65, a caution flag (for fluid on the track) put another temporary stop to Busch’s efforts. Patrick was 11th and used the wave-around to get back on the lead lap.

Denny Hamlin’s crew made some worthwhile adjustments to the 20 car, and he took the lead away from Busch on lap 77. Then Carl Edwards jumped into second, then the lead, and the pair took off from Busch.

Patrick was 12th, still on the lead lap.

But Patrick paid the price for taking the wave-around on lap 98, when she was forced to pit for fuel during the green flag run. That left her two laps down in 19th.

Unfortunately for Patrick, Donnie Neuenberger spun in turn 2 just seconds later.

“Damn,” she said over the radio, “that really sucks.”

She took another wave-around to pick up one lap, once again gambling that there would be a caution.

Busch re-took the lead but was unable to drive away from Edwards this time.

Neuenberger spun on his own again in turn 3. Patrick, who had been fighting for the Lucky Dog position, was the second car one lap down. This time, she had to pit, and so stayed one lap down.

Busch took four tires on the stop, which meant he restarted 10th. But, in what could perhaps be best described as a patented-Kyle-Busch style move, as the field took the green flag, he drove down onto the apron in an effort to make all the spots up at once.

It didn’t work. He got loose, started to spin, went into the grass, nearly gathered it up, and then hit the wall and tagged Jennifer Jo Cobb’s 79 car.

Busch's crew tries in vain to repair his car.

He said he had a run on Brad Keselowski, and "I didn't want to run into him, so I went into the grass and I know the grass typically doesn't work, so I looked kind of stupid doing that."

That put his car—and hers—in the garage for the day.

A short time later, Steve Wallace and Ryan Truex tangled, brought out the caution, and just like that, thanks to the Lucky Dog rule, Danica Patrick was back on the lead lap in 15th.
Carl Edwards took over the lead.

With 45 laps remaining, Patrick had worked her way up to 12th.

A pass on Trevor Bayne, and Patrick was 11th, setting her sights on the 11 of Brian Scott.

With 23 laps to go, Patrick had moved into 10th.

Then 9th.

Eighth.

Seventh, thanks to a couple of cars having to pit.

Sixth.

Fourth with 11 to go.

Meanwhile, Keselowski had taken the lead when Edwards pitted.

Reporters surround Patrick on pit road.

It was Danica Patrick's best finish in NASCAR and the best finish ever for a woman in a national NASCAR event, beating a record set in 1949.

Keselowski cut down a tire with two laps to go and Mark Martin took the checkers.

But this was clearly Danica Patrick's day. She stepped out of her car and waved to an appreciative crowd.

"I don't really think about achieving the highest finish ever for a female," she said. "I just want to win the race. Maybe that's why I did it, because I wasn't thinking about that."

She pointed out that this was just her 16th race, which sometimes surprises fans.

And next week?

"I don't know if it's good to have a top-five going into Bristol," she laughed. "My goal at Bristol is to finish."

Robbie Gordon on Probation After Confrontation

2011-03-05T11:53:00.006-07:00

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Robbie Gordon has been put on immediate probation by the sanctioning body after officials received reports of an altercation between Gordon and driver Kevin Conway Friday night in the NASCAR garage.

Officials did not witness the incident, according to Kerry Tharp, NASCAR spokesman, and so could not characterize it as a “fight” or physical confrontation. He also did not say how long the probation would last.

However, at least one fan claiming to have seen what happened posted on an internet bulletin board that, “Robby had him by the shirt shaking him then put him to the ground and hit him once then slapped [Conway].”

Neither driver will comment, but Conway filed a misdemeanor battery report with Las Vegas Metro Police.

The two drivers have had an on-going dispute over money; Conway filed a lawsuit alleging that Gordon owes him $29,000 in Rookie of the Year award money.

It is unknown if that case was behind the altercation Friday night.

Jeff Gordon Wins Phoenix, Snaps Losing Streak

2011-02-27T16:52:00.008-07:00

Jeff Gordon proved he can still win, snapping a 66-race losing streak, and simultaneously, shut down the naysayers who claim he’s no longer competitive by taking the checkers in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, a race marked by two large wrecks that at one point saw nearly half the field in the garage.

Gordon gets a push into Victory Lane after blowing up his engine.

Kyle Busch won the Truck race and the Nationwide race at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. He took the lead early on Sunday, too, which got everyone talking about a three-race sweep, but it was not his day.

Officials had planned for a competition caution on lap 40 to compensate for the green racing surface caused by heavy rains overnight; a caution for Robby Gordon’s spin on lap 35 took care of that situation.

Trevor Bayne, winner of last week’s Daytona 500, put his car—a backup, after a wreck in practice—in the wall on lap 51 when he tried to squeeze into a hole that closed up. He clipped the #38 of Travis Kvapil, but Kvapil recovered. Bayne was out of the race after that. “That’s a humbling experience,” he said afterwards.

A chain-reaction crash started by Kyle Busch sent pole sitter Carl Edwards into the wall and to the garage on lap 60. The 31 of Jeff Burton got into the 99 as well, and Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon were collected in the mess.

“This was the car to win,” Edwards said in the garage. “This car was so fast.” He said that he originally thought Busch had hit him on purpose, and the move did seem to be intentional; the 18 was on the outside and abruptly came down onto Edwards, but Edwards gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Meanwhile, “All we’re doing is being a ping-pong ball back here,” Busch said on the radio.

As soon as the field restarted, another wreck caused a 14-minute red flag period. Brian Vickers was bumped by Matt Kenseth, and that led to a 13-car melee that sent Kvapil into the inside wall hard; Regan Smith was also a casualty. No one was seriously injured in the incident—that included Jamie McMurray and JJ Yeley who both went to the infield care center.

Vickers was hot afterwards. ”It was pretty unnecessary [for Kenseth to be so aggressive] this early in the race,” he said. “Actually, it was unnecessary at the end of the race.” He shook his head. “It’ll come back to him.”

Over his radio, Kenseth asked if he had caused the wreck. His crew chief, Jimmy Fennig, said, “No, the 83 didn’t give you an inch.”

The final tally: Labonte, Vickers, McMurray, Bowyer, Robby Gordon, Burton, Gilliland, Lally, Ragan, Reutimann, Smith, Mears, and Earnhardt, Jr. were all involved in some way.

Junior escaped with little damage, pulled into his pit to applause from the crew and promptly exceeded the pit road speed limit on the way out, drawing a penalty.

The #60 car of Landon Cassill went behind the wall, as planned, about lap 80. The official reason given was brakes. Ironically, he wasn’t involved in either of the wrecks.

In this race of attrition, there were just 28 cars running with 200 laps to go.

Edwards, Vickers, Bowyer, Smith and Reutimann came back onto the track eventually, many laps down but unwilling to accept the DNF and accompanying lack of points.

On lap 126, David Regan hit the frontstretch wall hard when his right front tire went down, and his car caught fire. He got out with some difficulty and was fine.

Edwards, with nothing to lose, began applying pressure to Kyle Busch in retaliation for wrecking him earlier. Busch, sounding a little rattled on his radio, said, "I know I made a mistake. I admitted it."

Joey Logano’s engine let go with 94 laps to go, and he went behind the wall. That incident ended a long green flag run.

Edwards continued to harass Kyle Busch, blocking him. An irritated Busch said, "He has every right. One time, fine, but five times? Come on, man.'' Busch pitted rather than try to pass Edwards, perhaps assuming Edwards would wreck him.

As the laps wound down, Jeff Gordon fought hard to catch Kyle Busch. With 10 laps remaining, Gordon was right on Busch’s bumper. His car stuck to the bottom of the track; Busch’s did not, and Gordon went inside and gave Busch a slight push, which allowed him to slip past with eight laps to go.

He pulled several car lengths ahead and the race was all his.

“Are you kidding me?” he yelled. “Pinch me!”

“We beat Kyle Busch!” he said. “And then the fans saw my really lame burnout.”

Literally minutes after the race ended, a backhoe entered the frontstretch and began tearing up the surface in a ceremonial nod to the planned resurfacing and redesign of the track this summer.

Two Teams Admit Up Front They'll Start and Park Phoenix Cup Race

2011-02-27T12:20:00.004-07:00

The unhappy secret that everyone knows about in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing is the fact that teams “start and park,” because they can’t afford to run a full race but can make a good amount of money just for starting in a given race, even if they don’t finish.

NASCAR, understandably, does not like this, and makes the team state a reason their car is out of the race (“mechanical,” “electrical,” etc.).

But in today’s Cup race, there are at least two start-and-park teams that have admitted up front that they’ll leave the race early.

Last night, in a move believed to be unprecedented, Tommy Baldwin Racing issued a statement saying driver Dave Blaney would start and park the #36 car.

“A spin in the second practice at PIR caused severe damage to the front end of the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet and forced the team to unload the backup car,” the statement said. “With two races in the West, the No. 36 backup car is also the team’s primary car for the race at LVMS. Due to the setup, the team decided the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet would have a better chance to finish well with this car at LVMS than PIR.”

That’s odd enough. But then Landon Cassill, driver of the #60, which just announced brand-new sponsors this week, tweeted that he, too would start and park for Sunday’s race.

Cassill's pit. He's not going to run this race.

“Great week, Big Red colors on the 60 car, still s&p but hopefully opportunities keep coming. gotta keep working, it's still week to week,” he wrote.

That must have come as a surprise to Big Red and All Sport, which just signed with Cassill.

Nearly all the writers who reported on the story assumed that Cassill now had a full time Cup ride, mostly because the press release as much as said he did:

“Landon Cassill will drive the No. 60 car beginning with the SUBWAY Fresh Fit “500″ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend and will race for the full season,” it said.

It’s not clear where the disconnect might be on this one.

Plans for Phoenix Racetrack Repaving, Redesign Unveiled

2011-02-27T10:26:00.006-07:00

Changes to the racing surface at Phoenix International Raceway this summer will make for better racing and better visibility for fans, track president Brian Sperber said Sunday morning.

“The track has used up its life expectancy,” said Sperber. Since it needed to be repaved, he said, the decision was made to modify the surface in other ways as well.

Notable changes include widening the frontstretch by 10 feet; pushing the backstretch dogleg “out” about 95 feet to sharpen the turn and give it 10 degrees of banking; and altering the variable banking in turns 1 and 2 to 10 to 11 degrees and in turns 3 and 4 to eight to nine degrees.

PIR redesign diagram (click to enlarge)

Sperber says models predict a two-groove racetrack “from Day One.”

Martin Flugger, who recently worked on the Daytona repaving project, has been tapped for this redesign as well. He emphasized that sightlines would be improved for both fans and spotters, noting that right now, RVs tend to block the cars as the run along along the bottom of the track.

Kurt Busch said the time has come for these changes, but noted, “It’s tough to see a racing surface like this go.” He had been invited to speak at the press conference announcing the changes, and so was very positive.

But the changes haven’t gone over as well with fans or other drivers. Tony Stewart, noting that previous alterations haven’t been all that good for the track, told the Arizona Republic, “If more changes are coming, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to see them, either.”

Carl Edwards also expressed some concerns about losing the qualities that make the track special. "I don't want them to change anything, but Brian Sperber said they have to repave it."

Martin Flugger, Brian Sperber, Kurt Busch at the announcement

Sperber said the repaving will begin later this week and will take “five or six months,” but that it would be ready for the second Cup date this year, November 13, which, of course, is a Chase race.

Busch noted that the teams chosen for Goodyear tire testing on the new surface will likely have a big advantage over everyone else.

“I am available for that testing,” he said with a grin.

Smith Starts 5th at Phoenix; Brian Keselowski Misses race

2011-02-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Regan Smith, driving the #78 car for the Denver-based Furniture Row Racing team, will start fifth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix Sunday.

Smith’s second of two qualifying laps was a 26.283 for a speed of just under 137 miles an hour. The pole-sitter, Carl Edwards, set a track record with a 26.224 lap.

Brian Keselowski will go home. His time of 27.431 meant he was the sole car to miss the race.

Landon Cassill will start 36th, with a fast lap of 26.856.

Who's That Girl?

2011-02-26T12:39:00.002-07:00

If you didn’t know who this gaggle of fans was here to see, you might assume it was Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

You’d be wrong, though kind of close.
They’re trying to get a glimpse of Danica Patrick (who does drive a JR Motorsports car) as she gets into her car to qualify for the Nationwide race in Phoenix.

They’re not the only ones. There are a large group of press photographers who, although they are allowed closer, are equally interested in getting a shot of Danica.

Try to get a good explanation of why these fans are so enthralled, and you’ll be disappointed. The most common reason they give is, “Because she’s a girl.”

Well, they certainly can’t boast about her record.

One man, wearing a Danica t-shirt, stands with a camera, his two daughters, and his wife. Asked if Danica is a role model, he replies, “I don’t know…I don’t know that much about her.”

At least the girls have a strong opinion of who they like: one says Junior, one says Jimmie Johnson.

Danica is beginning to wear on some serious race fans as she plays up the “outsider” image. She recently told reporters she was unaware of the plans to repave and reconfigure the Phoenix track. And she lives in Phoenix.

If it isn’t an act, she’s got a serious lack of knowledge about NASCAR. Last week, she said she didn’t know where Bristol Motor Speedway is located. For this, she was rewarded with a gift basket from BMS general manager Jerry Caldwell.

Maybe people think it’s cute, coming from a woman.

Were a male driver to act like this, he’d likely be laughed out of the garage.

Note: Danica Patrick qualified 20th for the NNS race.

Brian Keselowski Struggling in Phoenix

2011-02-26T11:09:00.004-07:00

Brian Keselowski may be the only driver in the Phoenix NASCAR garage to be wearing his hard-card credential on a lanyard. Most drivers don’t feel the need, but Keselowski feels anonymous.

At least he has a full crew now. When he ran Daytona last week, he showed up with a two-man crew: his father and his uncle. Now there are a bunch of guys working on his car, prepping it for qualifying for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 this afternoon.

“We picked up a lot of these guys at Daytona,” he laughs. “A lot of their teams were having trouble, too, so we got together and said, ‘Why don’t we make this thing go to Phoenix?’”

Keselowski talks with a crew member. Last week, he didn't
even have a crew. Note the hard-card credential.

He’s here with a second car; the one he drove at Daytona had damage too severe to repair in time for this race. But even this one wasn’t ready.

“As of last Friday, this car was a long way from being ready,” he says. “It didn’t have a nose-piece or anything.”

“It had a lot of work to get here.” And that delayed everything else—the hauler didn’t leave the Statesville, NC shop until 8:30pm Wednesday.

And Keselowski’s worried, because the 92 car was slow in practice. He ran 41st out of 43 cars to practice in the first session yesterday (although Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne was worse, at 42nd). In Happy Hour, he was worse: dead last, 44th out of 44 cars to practice.

“We’re struggling,” he says. “I knew that would happen if we didn’t get our stuff right.” The car isn’t running right, he says, and it is having electrical and fuel problems. The new crew will tear it apart and “change everything.” His car is set up outside the garage, because there aren’t enough stalls, but that isn’t stopping his crew from diagnosing the problems and working to remedy them.

The tight schedule hurt his chances of making this race. “You need to come here prepared, and we weren’t prepared,” Keselowski says, shaking his head. “If we can be better prepared when we come to these races, we might start making some.”

He’ll attempt Las Vegas next week even if he doesn’t make this race, mostly because he’s already spent the money to travel out here from North Carolina.

Not far away, Trevor Bayne’s car is undergoing preparation, too

Keselowski harbors no ill will toward Bayne for stealing his thunder in the Daytona 500. “I’m not surprised they were all over him after he won,” he says with a laugh. “That’s a pretty good story.”

Still, “I was the underdog, and everyone loves the underdog. It was nice to get the attention, because everyone knows how hard I’ve worked,” he says. “It just takes something like getting into the Daytona 500 for people to pay attention.

Two to Watch in Phoenix

2011-02-25T05:45:00.003-07:00

While a lot of reporters in Phoenix for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 Sprint Cup race will be watching Daytona 500 star Trevor Bayne or big names such as Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Carl Edwards, I’ll be looking toward Brian Keselowski and Landon Cassill.

They’re underdogs, for sure, outside of the top 35 in points, and if qualifying is rained out, one driver won’t make the race; there are 44 cars entered as of Friday morning.

Brad Keselowski

But if they do have the chance to qualify, they could both very well be in the race. And that would be just short of remarkable, especially for Keselowski, older brother of Cup Series regular Brad.

The 29-year-old wrecked last weekend in Daytona. Still running for his self-funded family race team, he spent the beginning of the week struggling to repair his only car in time to make Phoenix. Kelselowski finally broke down and bought another one, an older Evernham Racing car. This is the car, he says, that Kasey Kahne took to the Charlotte Victory Lane in 2008. His season is, at this point, to be decided on a weekly basis, and a decent finish could mean a trip to Las Vegas next week.

Landon Cassill

Cassill, on the other hand, is in much better shape now. His Germain Racing #60 car is now sponsored by Big Red and ALL SPORT Body Quencher, and the deal will reportedly allow him to run a full Sprint Cup season. He also leads in points in the Nationwide series. Ironically, he opted to compete for points in that series, but now that he’s got a full-time Cup sponsor, he isn’t even entered in the NNS race in Phoenix.

Keselowski was the feel-good story at Daytona until he wrecked and was overshadowed by Trevor Bayne, who won the Great American Race in just his second Cup outing.

Keselowski had fought hard for a chance to make the Daytona 500 in the first place, and, having gained Discount Tire as a sponsor, is still battling to stay in the fight.

Both of these guys are hard-luck-turned-success stories in their own way, and it will be fun to watch them working hard in Phoenix.

Michael Waltrip Embroiled in Controversy (Again)

2011-02-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

It figures that, once Michael Waltrip finally won again, this time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in Daytona, it would go smoothly. Nothing ever does, for Waltrip.

This time, even as he celebrated the win—which came ten years to the day that his former boss, Dale Earnhardt, was killed on the same track—reporters were noticing that half of the spoiler on his truck had collapsed.

Note the spoiler damage on the truck in Victory Lane

He refused to address the issue in a post-race interview, saying only, “It’s been a long day.”

The other shoe finally dropped on Wednesday, when NASCAR assessed penalties. The sanctioning body fined crew chief Doug Howe $25,000 and placed him on probation until December 31. Truck owner Billy Ballew was penalized 25 owner’s points, which, given NASCAR’s new points scheme, is a fairly serious blow.

No penalty was given to Waltrip himself. Since he’s not eligible to earn driver’s points in the truck series (he elected to run in the Sprint Cup series this year), there was no way to take those away from him anyway.

NASCAR has never really differentiated between a failure to pass post-race inspection that would have enhanced performance and one that would not.

In this case, no one is sure whether it helped or hurt him. He made a slingshot last-lap pass around Elliott Sadler to cross the line first, and by that time, the spoiler was already broken.

Sadler was gracious and played both sides in an interview. “It definitely helped him,” he said. “But I think he still would have won anyway. He made a really good move off of turn four. He was going to side draft off of me. Might have been a little bit closer to the line, but he had a lot of momentum. That's not the reason why.”

Wednesday, Waltrip used one of his favorite media, Twitter, to defend himself.

“I was told NASCAR knew the spoiler was a racing accident but that they had to keep order in the garage. Hate it for [Vision Aviation Racing]. Good folks,” he tweeted.

Then: “It's crazy. The team didn't build the truck or the spoiler, they bought. The spoiler broke on lap 102 of a 100 lap race.”

While that may be true, the fact is that no one ever wins an appeal based on that argument, and “racing accidents” have been the downfall of many a car that failed post-race inspection.

The whole thing begs the question: why no fine for the driver? Waltrip could easily have been fined, even if they couldn’t take away driver’s points.

Some writers are suggesting that NASCAR start taking away wins, but that isn’t likely to happen; the tradition goes back to “Big” Bill France’s day, when he said fans would always leave the track knowing who won.

Of course, Waltrip managed to turn the whole thing into a pitch of his favorite sponsor. “It's a great lesson. Make sure all parts from now on come from NAPA!” he tweeted.

The Cinderella Story That Wasn't

2011-02-22T03:36:00.011-07:00

His was the Cinderella story of the 2011 Daytona 500.

Then he was all but forgotten in the wake of Trevor Bayne’s Daytona 500 victory.

Brian Keselowski was the original feel-good story of the weekend. He’d been laboring in the shadow of his younger brother, Brad, who garners all the attention as he races in the Sprint Cup Series, and was finally about to step into the sunshine himself.

After a Daytona practice session in which he ran 20 mph slower than the next-slowest car, Brian went into his Gatorade Duel race needing to finish as one of the top two of the non-qualified cars to transfer to the Daytona 500.

Brian hooked up in one of Daytona’s new drafting pairs with Brad, and Brad pushed him to the checkers for a fifth-place finish, good enough to make the big race.

He sat in his #92 Dodge and cried tears of joy.

This was new territory for the hard-luck driver; Brian had been running in ARCA since 2004 (three wins) and the NASCAR Nationwide Series since 2006 without much success. Last year, he tried to qualify for three Cup races, but missed them all.

Now, he found himself in the Great American Race, where he would start 12th.

Suddenly, a white-hot spotlight of attention was focused squarely on the 29-year-old, who had brought a crew of just two, his father and uncle, to the superspeedway to service his four-year-old car.

Discount Tire wanted to sponsor his blank white car, and over the weekend he applied the decals himself.

Ray Evernham agreed to pick up his tire bill—Brian had brought just one set.

Penske Racing offered a new engine, but it wouldn’t fit into the car.

Lacking a motorhome, Brian had stayed in a motel, but had checked out before the Duel race, figuring he had no chance. Luckily, a Good Samaritan offered a place to stay for the rest of the weekend.

Once he made the race, he continued his usual routine, working on his car in the Cup garage himself.

Brian insisted that, even thought he could make almost $250,000 just for starting the Daytona race, he would not start-and-park.

The little car that could.

Brian really wanted to race; it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. A few years back, in 2007, he was about to be signed to a contract with Keith Coleman Racing, as a Nationwide Series driver. But NASCAR said he couldn’t race in the series because he had too little experience on larger tracks. Brad, however had that experience, having been racing in the Truck series. Coleman hired him instead of Brian. Then JR Motorsports brought Brad on board, and now he has a full-time Penske Racing ride in the Cup series.

Meanwhile, Brian toiled away, supported by the underfunded family team, working on his own car. In that way, he’s a reminder of the old days in NASCAR, when a big guy in glasses could get grease under his fingernails, before changing into his firesuit and going out onto the track.

And, now that he had made the race at Daytona, he found that, just like on weekends at the local short track, volunteers came forward to help Brian and his two-man team get ready for the race.

On Sunday, he was a media darling, doing TV, radio, and print interviews. Live on SPEED. Then MRN Radio. And local TV stations. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to talk to Brian.

He climbed into his car, drove onto the track, and the green flag dropped. It signaled both the beginning of the race and the beginning of the end of Brian's Cinderella weekend.

He completed just 29 laps of the biggest race of his life before the 92 car was caught up in the Big One. It was a 15-car melee started by Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann, and it ended Brian's day. He went back to the garage, and would be scored 41st when the race ended.

Brian watched as Trevor Bayne, the 20-year-old who’d competed in just one previous Cup race, took the lead in the second green-white-checker restart, and held off Carl Edwards and Bobby Labonte for the win.

Bayne was anointed the new media darling that every reporter wanted to interview.

And just as suddenly as it began, no one cared much about Brian Keselowski anymore.

Now, Brian must take it one week at a time. His car was damaged in the race, and, of course, there’s no backup. So, although he’s entered, he’s still trying to decide if he can run at Phoenix this weekend. It’s a place he’d be among the go-or-go-homers who must qualify fast enough to be in the race, so he could end up making the cross-country trip and spending a lot of money (which, despite the purse money from Daytona, is still in short supply) for nothing.

What remains to be seen, of course, is whether Brian can run consistently enough to make races and then get worthwhile finishes.

In that respect, he’s a lot like Trevor Bayne. There's a lesson in this for him, too: the news media can be very fickle.

One day, you're the darling of the press; the next you're an afterthought.

Bayne's Win Ignites Twitter "War" Over Cheering Sportswriters

2011-02-21T05:34:00.006-07:00

Trevor Bayne’s win Sunday in the Daytona 500 ignited an online firestorm among the working reporters who were at the Daytona International Speedway media center for the race.

As it became apparent that Bayne would take the lead and finally the checkers, something unusual happened: the assembled reporters began to cheer and then broke into full-fledged spontaneous applause when the 20-year old, in his second Sprint Cup outing, pulled off a victory in the Great American Race.

This is not typical for sports writers, who don’t generally take sides; journalists do not cheer, and, as I have pointed out to many newbie reporters, we don’t clap at press conferences, either.

Shortly after the end of the race, a Twitter-based controversy broke out.

Bayne burns it up, but should reporters have cheered?
Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

David Caraviello, Senior Writer for NASCAR.com, wrote, “It's not exactly a positive thing that so many ‘journalists’ in media center exploded in applause as Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500..”

Several followers who are not journalists asked why that was a problem.

“Rule No. 1 of sports journalism: No cheering in press box. Rule No. 2: No cheering in press box,” he replied. “Can you be impressed? Amazed? Absolutely. But cheer? Never. Never ever.”

USA Today’s Nate Ryan jumped in, adding, “Well covered by @dcaraviello but also want to be on record that cheering in a media room at any pro sporting event is unacceptable.”

Ryan McGee, an ESPN reporter, chimed in: “5 secs of cheering > 4 hrs of snarky Mystery Science Theater commentary about the telecast. But I hate both.”

A Tweet from a non-journalist asked, “Don't you have to be fan of what you’re reporting?

“Opposite. You're a writer/reporter first, foremost, always,” replied Caraviello.

Meanwhile, Nate Ryan was chastised by a user who wrote, “A) it's sports, B) it's the Wood Bros.; lighten up.”

“With due respect: It's sports to you. It's a career/job to us. And with that comes professional obligations,” he replied.

As the discussion went on, it became clear that fans didn’t get the point Caraviello had been trying to make. He said, “For comparison: many other sports post signs: ‘This is a working press area and no cheering is allowed.’ Also announce that before games.”

“I have heard many cheers during many events,” argued another fan.

“By whom? Not by regular reporters on this beat, you haven't,” replied Caraviello.

Radio reporter Pete Pistone added, “Was reprimanded (rightfully so) for clapping in Wrigley Field press box a few years ago - not cool to do.”

Mark Haselden, sports editor for a South Carolina newspaper, said, ”Wow. Just catching up on your timeline about cheering media. Wonder what David Poole would've thought about that?”

That was a loaded question; the late David Poole, the Dean of NASCAR reporters, was a well-known curmudgeon. Caraviello acknowledged the point. “Oh, I think we know the answer to that question.”

He wrapped up the discussion with this: “Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to cheer the fact that I get to go home tomorrow. And do laundry. Maybe even with Cheer!”

Bayne, in His Second Cup Race Ever, Wins Daytona 500

2011-02-20T16:01:00.011-07:00

Trevor Bayne, the greenest of NASCAR rookies, in just his second Sprint Cup race, Sunday drove the legendary #21 Wood Brothers car to a victory in the 53rd annual running of the Daytona 500 and in the process became, at one day past his 20th birthday, the youngest driver ever to win the race.

It was a stunning upset over several experienced drivers who appeared to be about to win the race until the very end.

This Daytona 500 was marred, as many had feared it would be, by numerous crashes, big and small, as well as engine failures, both caused by nearly all the drivers coupling up in two-car drafting pairs. The result was a record number of caution periods, 16, and a lot of damaged race cars.

Unusually high speeds combined with the new ability to push cars around the entire track, made possible by the off-season repaving of the track, to make for a situation some drivers called unsafe.

The weather was absolutely perfect for a Sunday afternoon race when the green flag dropped at 1:30pm. The grandstands were packed with fans, a welcome change from the last couple of seasons.

NASCAR asked for a Lap 3 “moment of silence” to honor the late Dale Earnhardt, killed in a last-lap wreck in this race ten years ago. The crowd, with just about everyone holding three fingers up, fell silent for the lap, then cheered at the beginning of the next.

As the race began, Regan Smith in the 78 car immediately hooked up and drafted again with Kurt Busch, just as they had during the Duel race Busch won on Thursday. They would continue this pairing, swapping back and forth to allow the pushing car to cool down, most of the day.

That sort of monogamy was uncommon, with drivers swapping partners frequently. Nearly all the cars had special radio setups to allow drivers to change channels and talk to other drivers in an effort to coordinate their drafting.

On lap five, the first caution came out when the 18 of Kyle Busch, drafting in front of Michael Waltrip, drifted first down and then up the track. Waltrip finally turned him. Busch ran down into the grass without hitting anyone or anything else. Over his radio, Busch said he had to check up because he was part of a three-wide pack, which he described as “stupidly insane.”

By lap 11, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who started in the back of the field after a wreck with the 55 car pushing him during one of Thursday’s Duel races forced him into a backup car, had made it up to 7th. Then, in a case of déjà vu, it nearly happened again: Martin Truex, Jr. was pushing him when a caution flew and Truex failed to back off on the throttle. As the pair rapidly closed in on cars slowing down for the caution, the 88 ducked below the double-yellow line to keep from running into them, and narrowly avoided disaster.

Every car was paired up; 16 two-car drafting sets ran up front. They never lost contact with each other, even as they sped through the turns.

Kevin Harvick’s car overheated on lap 22 after pushing the 17 of Matt Kenseth. Complaining that the pop-off valve never opened, Harvick was forced to head to the garage. With this DNF and the fact that he led a lap, he finished the day with a total of two points.

Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann trigger The Big One
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

The Big One happened early, on lap 29. Waltrip, this time pushing his teammate, David Reutimann, turned the 00 car in front of the field and the 15 and 00 together caused a massive 17-car wreck. Waltrip said it was a result of not hearing what the leading driver wanted to do in time. “I was pushing David, and then at the last second, he said, ‘I gotta go low,’ and we were sideways,” he said. “Same thing with Kyle [Busch, in the earlier crash]. At the last second, he said, ‘I’m going up the middle.’”

Junior’s crew chief, Steve Letarte, told him he might be the only Hendrick car left in the race. "Come on, one of them’s gotta be good enough to get back,” he replied. “Don't take much to fix.” Mark Martin was repaired relatively quickly, and he got back into the race three laps down. Jimmie Johnson rejoined the race on lap 40, then found he couldn’t maintain minimum speed and left the track. He came back again, 19 laps down. Jeff Gordon would return to the race on lap 59.

Junior, a quarter of the way through the race and frustrated with the aggressiveness shown by the drivers, said over his radio, “It just seems like guys would be a little more cool. The race is at the end, man."

“I totally get the two-car draft, and we’re gonna see a lot more of it,” said Jeff Gordon as his crew worked to repair the 24 car. “What I don’t understand is why guys are doing this three-wide, three deep, running. They need to let it thin out a little bit. That would be safe.”

Just under half-way through the race, Jeff Burton overheated causing the second Earnhardt-Childress Racing engine to expire after an extended period of pushing Clint Bowyer. The air temperature at the track had risen to 80 degrees by this point, which only contributed to the problem. Panic edged into drivers’ voices as they realized their engines were overheating; Juan Pablo Montoya at one point yelled, “I need to swap, I need to swap!” Richard Childress sent drivers a message that they shouldn’t allow their ECR engines to become too hot before switching positions.

As the race headed toward the finish, Greg Biffle, who had been pushing Matt Kenseth, accidentally shoved him into the wall, sending his car spinning into the tri-oval infield grass. Each apologized to the other for not holding up their end of the deal, but Kenseth’s 17 car was destroyed. A few laps later, Juan Pablo Montoya turned Biffle while pushing him and both cars crashed.

A quick-thinking Kurt Busch saw the events unfolding ahead of him and dove down pit road, thus avoiding being caught up in the incident.

With 60 laps remaining, Mark Martin, his car repaired after involvement in the Big One, used the last of three Lucky Dog free passes to return to the lead lap, and was soon running in the top twenty.

Six pairs of cars roared through the last ten laps, continually changing positions.

Smith, who looked like he could be headed for a win with Kurt Busch pushing him, momentarily lost contact with Busch on lap 196, and when the 22 came back to continue pushing, he bumped Smith too hard. Into the wall Smith went, hitting Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer in the process. Smith’s dreams of winning the Daytona 500 ended right there.

That set the race up for a green-white-checker finish, and predictably, a wreck ensued immediately after the restart. Robby Gordon ran into Tony Stewart on the inside lane, then saved it on the apron, but the damage was done as AJ Allmendinger, trying to make room for Gordon’s 7 car to get back in line, ran into Ryan Newman, who in turn hit Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

On the restart, David Ragan, who looked ready to pull off a win, passed a car before he crossed the start-finish line, and was penalized. That gave Bayne the lead, and he managed to block and hold off both Carl Edwards and Bobby Labonte for the final lap.

Trevor Bayne is swarmed after his win.
Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

An incredulous Bayne, who kept saying, “Are you kidding me?” over his radio, brought the Wood Brothers’ car, now running a part-time schedule, to Victory Lane for the first time in a decade. It was also the first Daytona 500 win of the Wood brothers since 1976.

“I don’t even know where to go,” Bayne said over the radio, as he searched for Victory Lane. When he arrived, he found a jubilant crowd, including Richard Petty, waiting for him.

Bayne now surpasses Jeff Gordon as the youngest person ever to win the Great American Race.

“Our first Daytona 500 and we won it? This is unbelievable!” he said. “It’s crazy to get my first Cup win before my first Nationwide win.”

Glen Wood, with a broad smile said, “This is one of the greatest we've had.”

Bayne is ineligible for Rookie of the Year consideration because he has elected to run full-time in the Nationwide Series; that also means he gets no points for his win.

“That’s a wild Daytona 500, guys,” said Carl Edwards, summing up the day.

A record number of lead changes, 69, beating the previous 60, accompanied the record number of cautions.

Effort to Ban Military Sponsorships in NASCAR Fails

2011-02-20T05:57:00.006-07:00

The budget amendment proposed by U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) that would have banned the military from sponsoring NASCAR race cars failed on a 281-148 vote Friday, but the congresswoman says she’s not done yet.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the vote broke along party lines, with Republicans mostly voting against the amendment and Democrats mostly voting in favor.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum

On the floor, McCollum blasted the practice, calling it “real waste,” and saying, “Now here’s the $7 million question: Does slapping a sticker on a race car convince a young man or a young woman to volunteer to serve our country in the Armed Forces?”

Not, she continued, according to the U.S. Marine Corps, which ended a NASCAR Nationwide Series sponsorship campaign in 2006, citing the lack of a “mechanism to track how many people contracted because of seeing an advertisement on the hood of a car.” She also pointed out that the U.S. Coast Guard dropped their NNS sponsorship for the same reason.

U.S. Army Lt. General Benjamin Freakly, who disputed McCollum’s argument, said the Army spends about $7.4 million annually on NASCAR-based recruiting, and for that money generated about 46,000 leads.

"We know this is having an impact on recruiting and helping our recruiters with their jobs," Freakley said on Friday. "The alternative to this is having a recruiter walk up and down a mall and talking to about 150 people just to get one person to engage them.”

"I have to invest in awareness,” said Freakly. “In some venue or another, I have to make some form of investment to make the American people aware of their army. And this is what we think is a good investment."

Ryan Newman's 39 car, sponsored by the U.S. Army

The U.S. Air Force and National Guard also have current sponsorship deals that McCollum characterized as “wasteful spending.”

McCollum went on to say that, in 2008, the U.S. Navy, as part of its now-ended sponsorship deal of the #83 Nationwide car, had “also paid one driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the outrageous sum of $800,000 in taxpayer funds–twice the salary of the President of the United States–just to make public appearances.”

This drew an immediate and sharp rebuke from Earnhardt’s sister, Kelley, president of JR Motorsports. In a statement, she said, “"It is unclear to us how they came up with that number. It was inaccurate, as was the dynamics of the sponsorship.”

McCollum’s Chief of Staff said the information came from a July, 2008 Navy Times article which described Earnhardt, Jr’s tie to the 88-man boot camp unit called the “Dale Jr. Division,” noting that it was based on an $800,000 contract, according to the article.

McCollum received a threatening fax on Wednesday. The fax, which told her to “shut her [expletive] pie hole,” also included a crude drawing of a pickup truck dragging President Obama by a noose. McCollum’s office said the Capitol Police are investigating the source of the fax.

After the amendment to House Resolution 1 was defeated, McCollum vowed to ramp up her efforts to eliminate NASCAR funding altogether. Her office issued a statement saying she would continue to introduce legislation to ban all military sponsorships of “race cars, dragsters, Indy cars, and motorcycle racing” as well as repealing the 2010 law that gave a “$45 million special tax earmark for NASCAR and race track owners.”

McCollum, incidentally, did not vote on her own amendment; her office said she was traveling “on official government business to the Middle East."

Landon Cassill: On the Outside Looking In

2011-02-19T18:23:00.004-07:00

Racing is often a very unfair industry. Not an unfair sport—usually, the rules are enforced reasonably, and if a ruling doesn’t fall your way this week, it likely will next.

But as a business? It frequently baffles.

This week’s example: Landon Cassill. He drives in both NASCAR’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. Saturday, Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, took third in the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona. And because drivers that have elected to run for points in the Cup Series are ineligible for NNS points, Cassill is the points leader.

Cassill, in the 1 car, pushes Tony Stewart to a win in Saturday's race.
Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

And for all that, as of right now, he will sit out the race next week at Phoenix.

It all comes down to money, and, specifically, sponsorship. Cassill doesn’t have it.

“It's tough,” he said. “I mean, there's a lot of young drivers in my situation. There's some young drivers that have rides, likes Trevor [Bayne] and Ricky [Stenhouse, Jr.]. They've landed with good teams and good sponsors.”

But he’s not in that group.

It’s not for lack of trying. “I want to be able to put myself in front of these sponsors and be like, Guys, I bring energy, I bring fire. I'm talented. That's why I'm here,” he said.

But the reality is, sponsor dollars are limited, at least right now. Team owner Tony Stewart said, “We're still trying to sell races for Ryan [Newman’s] car right now,” and Newman is a well-established driver.

Stewart places blame squarely on his fellow team owners.

“We saw the car owners kind of get in that phase three or four years ago where the manufacturers and the car owners were hiring kids like Landon and Josh Wise, hiring these guys really cheap, plugging them in and hoping that they were going to get odds on their money,” said Stewart. “The problem is you have 43 Cup cars that start every Sunday. You have 43 Nationwide cars. You got all these drivers that got hired and nowhere to put 'em.”

Not that Landon Cassill’s blaming anyone. He’s humble to a fault. “I wouldn't be here without James Finch,” he said. “Gave me my first Cup start when I was pretty much left for dead, got me back in the sport. I wouldn't be here without him.” But Finch hasn’t offered to give him a ride for the Phoenix race, and he’s hoping that Germain Racing might help him with the following race, in Las Vegas.

So in this business of speed, it pays to keep in mind that without marketability, there can be no speed.

Or, as Casill put it, “The sponsors want the drivers that have been used over and over again.”

Michael Waltrip Wins on the 10th Anniversary of Tragedy

2011-02-18T21:25:00.013-07:00

There is a certain symmetry to the way things turned out.

After all, Michael Waltrip had his first win in 462 tries ten years ago to the day.

And it came at this track.

But this time, it was different. The last time, Waltrip’s big victory in the 2001 Daytona 500 was overshadowed by the violent death of his new boss, Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in a last-lap wreck. Waltrip didn’t get to celebrate, really. Didn’t even want to, once he’d heard the news.

But Friday night, Waltrip won the NASCAR NextEra Energy Solutions 250 Camping World Truck Series race at Daytona. The race had been wild, with not just one, but two instances of The Big One. The second one took out most of the field, from third on back. Waltrip was leading, and unlike so many times in the past ten years, this time he was not caught up in the carnage.

After that, many cars returned to the track in various states of disrepair; just five of the 36 starters avoided getting into one of the wrecks. Waltrip and Elliott Sadler, two of those five, ran together in a drafting pair, with Sadler out front. Then, in a well-timed move developed from experience, Waltrip jumped out from behind Sadler at the last moment, as they came out of turn four and screamed toward the finish line. He led just one lap, but it was the one that counted.

Michael Waltrip celebrates in victory lane with his No.15 crew
Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Waltrip had finally won another NASCAR race. It had been seven years since he pulled off his last win, at a 2004 Nationwide Series race in Nashville.

In Victory Lane, he teared up and said, "I came here to celebrate [Earnhardt’s] life with my black truck and my No. 15 car. I didn't come here to celebrate a win." He hugged his daughter, Macy, and said, ``God bless Dale and his family and his fans.”

This was his first win in the Truck Series; he’s now won in each of NASCAR’s top three touring series, only one of 22 drivers who can make that claim.

And, yet, in the midst of Waltrip’s jubilation, sat an 800-pound gorilla that no one wanted to talk about.

In the closing laps of the race, part of the spoiler broke off his truck. That’s a rules violation, and NASCAR should, by all rights, take some action as a result. The question is, will they? Or will they give Michael Waltrip this one, on a day of redemption, on this, the tenth anniversary of what he’s called the worst day of his life?

Update: The controversy continues. A reporter asked Waltrip to respond to Kasey Kahne's Tweet, complaining, "I need to learn how to get my spoiler to fall off if that's legal."

"It's been a long day," he said.

Ironically, Kahne's comment could draw a rebuke (and a fine) from NASCAR, if the sanctioning body reacts as it has in the past.

Regan Smith Takes Second in Duel Race #1

2011-02-17T15:50:00.005-07:00

Regan Smith drove the #78 Denver-based Furniture Row Racing Chevy Impala to his best finish ever in a Sprint Cup race-- second-place--in the first of two Gatorade Duels races Thursday afternoon.

The Duels determine the start positions (for everything from the second row back) for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Daytona 500 race.

Smith battled hard with Kurt Busch, but ultimately, they cooperated to form one of the new two-car drafting pairs that have shown the ability to surpass 200 mph.

Kurt Busch, Regan Smith, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth race side by side.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Smith led three laps; thanks to a green-white-checker finish, the race actually ran two laps longer than the planned 60 laps.

At the pair came to the finish line, Smith tried to jump out and pass Busch, but Busch squeezed Smith down to the double-yellow line. Smith backed off, perhaps remembering Denny Hamlin’s penalty in last weekend’s Budweiser Shootout, assessed because he went below the lines to pass Kurt Busch in that race.

Busch took the checkers.

Busch is now two-for-two, having won both races, and, thanks to a wreck that forced Dale Earnhardt, Jr. into a backup car, he will also start in the front row of the 500.

Smith was 2008’s Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year

Congresswoman Wants to Cut Military NASCAR Sponsorships

2011-02-15T14:20:00.010-07:00

U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN) on Monday introduced a budget amendment intended to keep the military from advertising on NASCAR race cars.

Currently, there are three Sprint Cup cars sponsored by the military: the U.S. Army is featured on Ryan Newman's car, the U.S. Air Force sponsors AJ Allmendinger, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr carries the National Guard colors. In the past, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps have each sponsored a car in the Nationwide Series.

Although teams do not routinely release the amounts of money spent for sponsorships on their cars, we do know that in 2009, the last year for which figures are available, the Army spent almost $12 million to appear on Newman's car.

This is money well-spent, say military officials, who claim it helps in their recruiting efforts. But McCollum does not believe federal dollars should be used for on-track recruiting.

"The country is in a fiscal crisis," said Bill Harper, chief of staff for Rep. McCollum. He says there's debate on a budget resolution that would eliminate funding for homeless veterans' programs, "but we're going to spend money on racecars?"

NASCAR's Managing Director of Communications, Ramsey Poston, said, “NASCAR fans are the kind of people who fight America’s wars, which would put into question the wisdom of banning the military’s ability to reach out to them.”

He also suggested NASCAR loyalists were more likely to serve in the military than the general population, saying, "One out of five NASCAR fans served or are currently serving in the military and they are over 1.5 times as likely as non-fans to do so."

"One out of three military service members are NASCAR fans," he continued, "and those who serve in the military are over 1.5 times as likely to be a NASCAR fan than those who do not serve."

Harper, however, points to a report issued when the U.S. Marine Corps stopped their NASCAR sponsorship in 2006 after six years, saying they "had no way of knowing how effective the sponsorships were," and that there was no "tracking mechanism" to establish how many people joined the USMC "because they saw advertising on a car's hood."

Harper did say the nothing in the amendment would keep military services from recruiting in other ways at the track, such as tents.

He said that, given the tax breaks NASCAR's track owners have received, it might be appropriate, and, he said, "patriotic" for NASCAR to donate a car, putting logos from all branches of the military on it.

NASCAR Makes Changes in Wake of High Shootout Speeds

2011-02-14T18:27:00.002-07:00

In an effort to break up the two-car drafting pairs that dominated Saturday night’s Budweiser Shootout, NASCAR officials have changed the rules.

A bulletin sent to the Sprint Cup teams mandates two alterations:

-The cooling system air inlet can be no larger than 2 ½ inches tall by 20 inches wide

-The water system’s pressure relief valve must be set at 33 psi

These changes will, theoretically, keep the cars from running in pairs for long periods because they will tend to overheat. On Saturday, the drivers continually paired up and drafted in an effort to overcome the effects of the restrictor plates on the engines.

And they did: Michael Waltrip and Kyle Busch were clocked at a top speed of 206 mph. The cars are typically not allowed to run the fast for fear any crash will injure spectators. Usually, when NASCAR sees practice speeds above 200 mph, they issue new carburetor restrictor plates with smaller openings to keep the speeds down.

It’s not known why NASCAR is trying this alternate plan this year. It didn’t work on Saturday: between cars with 300-degree overflow valves and coordination that allowed the drivers to swap places in their pairings, they were still diabolically fast.

That worried Robin Pemberton, Vice-President of Competition for NASCAR. "At first I thought it was exciting," he said. "But once they reached 206 miles per hour, I stopped thinking about the race. I just thought about all the work we had to do moving forward."

Still, Pemberton did not rule out a plate with smaller openings. "We can always go to the plate, and we know that," he said. "Right now, this is strictly getting the teams prepared for [practices scheduled for] Wednesday."

NASCAR Pits Now "Kid-Friendly"

2011-02-14T14:36:00.003-07:00

From NASCAR PR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 14, 2011) — Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway not only opens up the 2011 NASCAR racing season, it also opens the garage gates to some very important fans.

A revision in NASCAR’s garage access policy allows an adult with approved access, either via annual credential (hard card) or a single event license (SEL), to bring his or her children in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garages on race days.

The policy is in effect only during the “cold” pre-race period. Each child will be issued a special credential. There is no minimum age requirement.

”NASCAR offers the best behind-the-scenes access in all of sports and this gives young people the opportunity to experience this excitement up close and personal,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of track operations. “The thrill of being in the NASCAR garage on race day cannot be duplicated and we’re looking forward to having our young fans participate in this race-day experience.”

Some “Need to Know” parameters for this new policy:
-Parents must complete a minor’s release form prior to receiving a minor’s credential.
-Releases and credentials will be available at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series registration hauler or at the garage location.
-NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series children credentials will be available at those series’ at-track registration locations.

Also updated for 2011: The dress code for all NASCAR pit and garage areas. Attire must remain appropriate for both a major sporting event and a family environment, but has been relaxed to include shorts, open-toed shoes, sleeveless blouses and skirts/dresses.

The Pink Car and Other I-76 Speedway Stories

2011-02-13T19:07:00.005-07:00

The 15 car in the Econo Stock series at I-76 Speedway is pink.

That, by itself, is no big deal. Odds are, you have seen pink race cars before.

The unusual thing about this car is the driver. His name is Troy Witthar. And, standing over six feet, the lanky driver with numerous tattoos, a goatee, and facial piercings looks like he’d be willing to kill you if you gave him a hard time about the car.

But he’s cool with it. When I ask him about driving a pink car, he smiles and says, “They all look the same from the inside.” Besides, as you might guess, the color is part of a sponsorship deal.

The "Audra" car

Three Witthar Racing cars carry sponsorships from Denver’s Rocky’s Autos, a used-car dealer. Each of them features a character from the company’s well-known television commercials: there’s a “Shagman” car, the #50 is the “Officer Odell” car, and Troy’s is the “Audra” car. It is decorated with photo-decals of actress/pitchwoman Audra Winn over the pink paint.

Witthar has the 15 car in first place for points in the I-76 Speedway Winter Series.

Butch Spieker, the owner of the ¼-mile track in Fort Morgan, is a little disappointed in the turnout this February Sunday. While there are maybe 40 cars here, split among several classes, Spieker said there’d have been more if they had run last weekend as planned. That date was postponed due to weather.

Butch directs traffic as cars enter the track

“We usually have more,” he says. “Several times last winter, we had 35 modifieds.”

(That prompts me to ask about the overall car counts during the summer. Anywhere from 75 to 90 entries, Spieker says.)

He’s hoping more drivers will show up for the March event, since they’ll be preparing for the regular season.

It is a warm, sunny day in Fort Morgan. That’s a welcome change from the very cold and snowy weather the area has been seeing lately. Of course, as the snow melts, the pit area turns into a muddy mess. The track itself, however, needs to be watered down to make the surface as good as possible for racing.

Troy Witthar runs his heat race, and, not surprisingly, dominates it. The Econo Stock series is the only one big enough to need two heat races, so there will be a field of eight for the main.

Young's "new" car on the track

Chad Young brought his #33 Sport Modified to the track from Imperial, Nebraska. He plans to run this car here at Fort Morgan several times during the regular season.

Today, he’s testing. This is a new car and Young hasn’t driven it yet. He bought it as a Modified and asked the manufacturer what it would take to convert it. $1,300 and labor later, it is now a Sport Mod.

Running for the first time in a Sport Mod is Bubba Willox of Cheyenne. He’s known here (and at I-25 Speedway) for running in a couple of series, but he’s never driven this series before.

In his heat race, Bubba meets with disaster. He battles for the lead with Danny Concelman, but other cars are all over the track, some even going off the track in the turns. At one point, Concelman, the leader, does just that himself, and when he pops back onto the track, he slams into Willox, breaking his right rear wheel off. That’s terminal, at least today, and Willox is done.

“I got three or four hot laps, and a few laps in the heat race,” he deadpans.

Car owner Alan Phelps adds, “If nobody ever wrecked on the racetrack, no one would come out to watch.”

Witthar after his win

Witthar starts in the rear of his Main. He hangs out there for most of the race, watching as drivers spin out or run out of room and over the edge on turns. Finally, he makes his move, driving right up the middle of the pack. That puts him in second, right behind the #50 “Officer Odell” car driven by his young teammate, Tony Finley. For a lap or two, it looks like they’re going to battle it out, but then Finley lets Witthar go by for the win.

“He’s leading in points and he’s my teammate, so I let him get up there,” he says.

Chad Young struggles in the four-car Sport Mod main, slipping and sliding around the track and finally going a lap down. He never really challenges Concelman, who takes the checkers.

Concelman, who leads the Winter Series points for the Sport Mod series, says, “I have a top-notch car, and a top-notch group with me. We’ve got a pretty phenomenal team.” He is an experienced driver who plainly expected to win today. “We were here today to clinch the championship,” he adds.

Doing the Two-Car Tango at Daytona

2011-02-13T06:05:00.001-07:00

The NASCAR Sprint Cup 2011 Budweiser Shootout was notable for several reasons, but the biggest was due to the re-paving of the Daytona International Speedway racing surface. It is, by all accounts, now as smooth as glass and very grippy.

The new track made for a new racing dynamic: an increased emphasis on two-car drafting pairs, which reached speeds over 200 mph. While Daytona has always been known for drafting and breakaway “trains,” this was different.

Two cars, no more, working together, had a significant speed advantage. The traditional packs never formed, but instead, drivers paired up all over the track.

Kurt Busch burns it up after his first restrictor plate win
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR officials expected the high speeds after they saw cars doing 203 mph in practice. But the officials, who, in the past, had always handed out new restrictor plates with smaller openings so the cars would be slowed, this time did not. Instead, they opted to remove cooling hoses from the cars in the hopes that closely-drafting cars would develop oil-overheating issues and the drivers would be forced to give their cars a break.

That plan did not work. Drivers did pair up and took off, and when their cars began to heat up, they simply coordinated a switch to put the pusher in front so it could cool off in the clean air.

A couple of drivers complained that they were going so fast, their cars were hitting the rev limiter chip. Kevin Harvick didn’t like that at all. “"I'm half-tempted to just reach up there and pull [it] off,” he groused over his radio.

And Michael Waltrip and Kyle Busch reached 206 mph for a time, a speed this track (or any track) hasn’t seen since the 1980s.

Race winner Kurt Busch put it this way: “Two cars just hook up, and it seems like the air comes off the front car and clears that second car perfectly. If you have a third car, the air comes off that front car, lands onto the third car and that third car can't break through.”

The drivers were surprised by the speeds and the two-car pairings. The first segment of the race was uneventful; it was marked by high speeds but no wrecks. After the half-time pit break, that all changed. Wrecks took out good cars.

Reactions were mixed.

“Nerve-wracking,” said Kurt Busch’s crew chief, Steve Addington, after the race.

“It's fun as hell,” countered Busch.

“I was having a blast,” said notorious anti-plate racer Mark Martin, after his wreck with Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch said, “I think it would be a better race to see us all grouped up rather than the two-car deals.''

“I would love to be racing the other way,” said Dale Earnhardt, Junior.

Matt Kenseth: “If you’re the pusher, you can’t see a thing and with going 207 miles an hour and pushing someone when you can’t see, it’s not a lot of fun.

During a mid-race caution, a philosophical Jeff Gordon mused, "I figured it out. This is like playing chess on the edge of a cliff with the wind blowing 50 mph gusts."

But Brad Keselowski, who was not driving Saturday night, asked (via Twitter) the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“This racing is very exciting, but will old school fans like it, long term?” he Tweeted.

Kurt Busch Wins "Ridiculous" Bud Shootout

2011-02-12T20:21:00.003-07:00

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout Saturday night was won by Kurt Busch in a race that demonstrated that the newly-repaved Daytona International Speedway would make speeds above 200 miles per hour common. In fact, several cars hit 206 mph, previously a big no-no, according to NASCAR.

But two-car pairings routinely stayed above 200, despite the NASCAR mandated alterations to the cars’ cooling systems. This they did rather than implementing a smaller restrictor plate, which is he usual solution to hold speeds down.

Kevin Harvick said before the race began that he didn’t think the cooling changes would have any effect on speeds, and he was right: drivers simply swapped positions in their pairings when their cars began to get too warm.

Driving noticed the difference immediately. Over their radios, they called the speeds “ridiculous,” “crazy,” and, in the case of Kyle Busch, “This is cool as s---.”

The first casualty of the night was Kasey Kahne, who limped onto pit road early, and then into the garage, when his engine expired, thus ensuring that Derrike Cope would not be the last car to finish the race. Cope’s car was just plain slow (in practice, it had been 20 mph slower than the next-slowest car) and he began going laps down early in the race.

The two-car breakaways included odd ones like Dale Earnhardt, Junior and Kyle Busch and teammates working together (and on the same radio channel), Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick.

That pair led the field on the restart after the pit stop break.


Six-car melee takes out Junior and Edwards. Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

The first caution flag of the race came on lap 28 when 78 of Regan Smith bumped Carl Edwards and forced Edwards into Earnhardt Junior’s rear quarter-panel. The 78 went careening into the infield. Also involved: Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kevin Conway. They all ended up in the garage.

During the caution, Jeff Gordon said over his radio, "I figured it out. This is like playing chess on the edge of a cliff with the wind blowing 50 mph gusts."

A few laps later, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin went for a spin when Busch’s 18 car, being pushed by Martin at nearly 200 mph, got loose and lost it. Busch tagged the wall and Martin rolled into the grass, followed by Busch.

After Martin took the 5 car behind the wall, Busch jumped to the front on the restart, by hanging far behind the pack and passing the entire field on the outside. Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived; he suddenly pulled off the track and also went behind the wall.

Surprisingly, Mark Martin, who is not known for being a fan of restrictor plate racing, was very positive in the garage after his wreck. “Before that happened, I was having fun,” he said.

Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip were next to wreck, with 27 laps to go, when Stewart tried to push Waltrip’s car, but hit the 15’s bumper off-center and spun him. They had been running ninth and tenth when they went for their spin. Waltrip hit the outside wall and went for a drive in the grass; Stewart kept going.

By now, the race was starting to look like a battle of attrition. Fifteen cars were still running on the restart, including Derrike Cope, who, thanks to the Lucky Dog rule, had made it back to the lead lap, and was running 14th--right behind Stewart.

The 2009 Bud Shootout record of 23 lead changes fell in the closing laps. Total lead changes: 28.

Kurt Busch edges out the competition on the final lap
Credit: NIck Laham/Getty Images

Coming to the checkered flag, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman raced Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray. Then, a major fumble as Hamlin dropped too low and went below the double-yellow line to pass Newman, a rules violation. Hamlin crossed the finish line first, but Kurt Busch, who also passed Newman, crossed the finish line second, was ruled the winner. Hamlin was black-flagged and finished as the last car on the lead lap.

Kurt Busch had won his first restrictor plate race. In Victory Lane, he thanked his “motor department—Jamie McMurray” for helping him win and said McMurray was his “teammate for the day.”

Hamlin said he had a run on Newman and was afraid he would hit the 39 and wreck him, so he chose to go around him on the inside.

San Luis Valley Motorplex 2011 Schedule

2011-02-12T04:23:00.001-07:00

March 12th Winter Series (day race)

April 9th Winter Series All Classes (day race)

April 23rd Test-n-Tune 11:00am-6pm

May 7th...Test-n-Tune 11am-6pm

May 14th..Winter Series Finals (day race)

May 21st...2011 season begins...All Classes (day race)

June 4th.. All Classes (day race) Fan Appreciation $5 general admission(adults) and receive $5 admission for remainder of season!!

June 9th... The Clash Test-n-Tune

June 10th... 3rd Annual Dwarf Car Clash...Mods, Dwarfs, Gen-x (night race)

June 11th... 3rd Annual Dwarf Car Clash...Dwarfs, Mods, Pro Stocks, Hobby
(night race)

June 18th...all Classes (night race)

June 25th...No Racing

July 2nd..Independence Day Celebration FIREWORKS! All Classes

July 9th... Leroy Hood Memorial Dwarf Car Race. All Classes

July 16th.. All Classes

July 23rd..pending

July 30th..Pending

Aug.6th...Modified Shoot out $1000 to win..All Classes

Aug.13th..All Classes

Aug. 20th.. Rocky Mountain Lightning Sprints(winged sprint cars) All Classes

Aug.27th...All Classes

Sept. 3rd... No Racing

Sept. 10th..All Classes (day race) Points end

Sept. 17th Fall/Winter Series begin (day races)
Fall/Winter Series Schedule will be up at a later date.

About the 2011 Bud Shootout

2011-02-07T05:57:00.001-07:00

Info from Jayski.com

The rules for the 2011 Budweiser Shootout have been changed this year, and the changes have made for at least one odd entry. Kevin Conway, a driver universally considered to be fair-to-middling (and that's very generous) is in because he won Rookie of the Year by default in 2010.

2011 Driver Eligibility: The criteria to make the 2011 Budweiser Shootout is based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons:
* The 12 drivers who qualified for the 2010 Chase
* Past Sprint Cup champions
* Past Budweiser Shootout champions
* Past Daytona points race winners
* Sprint Cup rookie of the year drivers from 2001-2010

These Drivers plan to run the race:
2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers:
#48-Jimmie Johnson
#11-Denny Hamlin
#29-Kevin Harvick
#99-Carl Edwards
#24-Jeff Gordon
#14-Tony Stewart
#16-Greg Biffle
#17-Matt Kenseth
#18-Kyle Busch
#33-Clint Bowyer
#22-Kurt Busch
#31-Jeff Burton
Others (criteria filled in parentheses)
#09-Bill Elliott (Series champion, Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
#1-Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Series Rookie of the Year)
#4-Kasey Kahne (Series Rookie of the Year)
#5-Mark Martin (Budweiser Shootout)
#15-Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
#20-Joey Logano (Series Rookie of the Year)
#39-Ryan Newman (Daytona 500, Series Rookie of the Year)
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya (Series Rookie of the Year)
#47-Bobby Labonte (Series champion)
#78-Regan Smith (Series Rookie of the Year)
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
#97-Kevin Conway (Series Rookie of the Year)
Unknown if these eligible Drivers will run the race or not:
John Andretti (Coke Zero 400), no current ride, ran the Daytona 500 in 2010, but no other races
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500), attempted to make the Daytona 500, ran the Bud Shooutout and the Sprint Challenge
Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout) - ran the 2010 race in the #82 Toyota and a race in the #26 Ford
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout) - no current ride, last ran at Dover in 9/2004, made some attempts in 2009
Terry Labonte (Series champion, Budweiser Shootout) - has part time ride with his own team in the #10 Chevy, no word if he plans on running
Sterling Marlin (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400) - supposedly retired

30 drivers are eligible, 24 look to be running the race for sure, the rest are unknown. Eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons (2009-2010).

2011 NASCAR Points System and Chase Eligibility

2011-02-06T13:31:00.001-07:00

from Jayski.com

The New NASCAR Points System:

NASCAR recently announced it has simplified its points system starting in 2011. Some notes on how it works:
The new points system awards points in one-point increments with race winners earning 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win.
All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher--43rd place--earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series' 36-driver race field.
All drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and ONE driver who leads the most laps, gets one point.
The max a driver, a race winner can get, is 48 points.
Teams that fail to qualify for a race will get no owners points, but NASCAR will track number of attempts, no word on how ties will be broken after five races when the owners points goes into effect.

The New Sprint Cup Chase System:
Twelve drivers will run the Chase
The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 -- the "cutoff" race -- to earn Chase berths.
The final two spots will be determined by the number of wins during the first 26 races.
Positions 11 and 12 are "wild card" qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked drivers with the most wins, as long as they're ranked in the top 20 in points. Ties are broken by points position, then by 2nd place finishes, 3rd, etc.
The top-10 Chase drivers will be seeded based on wins during the first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points.
The wild card drivers will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th, respectively.
The top 12 drivers will be reset to 2000 points, drivers 1-10 will get three- bonus points per win.

New Face at I-25 Speedway Could Bring a Boost to 2011 Season

2011-02-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

by Kevin Ramsell
American Speed Association PR

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — When talking to Perry White, you will hear a lot of confidence in his voice. The promoter of I-25 Speedway, an ASA Member Track, located eight miles north of Pueblo, CO, recently announced a new tech director, a new look to their website, and a new division for 2011.

The new tech director is Sledge Larsen, who also owns the U.S. Late Model Association. "In the nine years that I have owned the speedway, I think this is the best decision we have ever made, along with joining the ASA Member Track family," White recently said. "Sledge comes in with a lot of creditability with what he has done with the U.S. Late Model Association."

White is already seeing positive results with this announcement. A recent late model drivers meeting had a large crowd and practically overfilled the room. "I talked to some of the drivers who are coming out of retirement to race with us or are coming back to race with us this year," White exclaimed. "We are very optimistic about the car count this year."

White does believe that all of their divisions will be back up to par in 2011. "I think the economy has kept some people away, but I think many are getting the itch to come back to race and they are doing whatever they can to be back at the track," White said.

One change that White is making to his racing program this season is a Charger Figure 8 Division. "We have many experienced drivers who compete in our hornet division, and I want to keep that division for new and young racers to compete in," White explained. "We have talked to our experienced competitors who want to race with those Hornet style cars to compete in our new Charger Figure 8 division. I think this will be an exciting division for the competitors and for the fans to watch as well."

Fans who have attended race events in the past will continue to see a steady item in 2011. "One thing that we have not done since we bought the track was raising the admission price and we are not planning on doing that this season," White announced. "We are promoting our track as an affordable place for the whole family this season. It is almost more affordable then seeing a two-hour movie as you can see live racing action for about the same or less in cost."

White is also excited about the new website that is being designed by Mike Bible. The new site is up with some pages still under construction, but the 2011 schedule is available online. "We are using Facebook, Twitter, our website and other forms of advertising to let fans know what we are doing this season," White said. "We have an exciting season planned, and we think this will be one of our best seasons yet."

"We share the same optimism with Perry White and his staff at I-25 Speedway have about the 2011 season," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "The race fans in the greater Pueblo, CO area have a great place to see some of the best short track racing in their area with eleven different divisions competing throughout the season. We are very excited to have them as part of our ASA Member Track program and wish them nothing but success this season."

Jeff Gordon Draws Fans to PPIR

2011-02-05T15:02:00.004-07:00

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing is notoriously dull stuff, even to the drivers themselves. Car goes out, runs ten laps by itself, comes in and the crew works on it for 30 to 40 minutes, car goes back out for some more laps. Repeat, sometimes a dozen or more times. Some drivers don’t even do the testing themselves, preferring to have someone else in the seat for the day.

Jeff Gordon is not one of those. Today, he is at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, preparing for Phoenix, the second race of the year. The Phoenix track is similar to PPIR, and, weather permitting, PPIR makes for a good stand-in. (Also, NASCAR teams can't test at any of the tracks that hold NASCAR-sanctioned races; PPIR does not.) Gordon’s team has brought two cars to Fountain: One painted in his new AARP scheme, but without the numbers and sponsor decals, the other primer gray with the stylized 24 on the doors. Gordon will use the painted car as his primary at Phoenix.

The AARP Car

The track manager informs me that Gordon and his team will not speak to media at all today. In fact, media cannot even get access to the infield/garage area. This, of course, means Gordon will not be available to the fans, either.

That, however, is not enough to stop die-hard Jeff Gordon fans. Friday, Gordon was also at PPIR, and a story ran in the Colorado Springs newspaper saying he would also be there on Saturday.

So his most rabid supporters, perhaps as many as 50 or so, make the quick drive from the Springs to Fountain in hopes of seeing their favorite driver, paying $10 a head for the opportunity. It is cold and windy, although the sun does peek out from behind clouds from time to time, but most importantly for testing, it is dry.

The assembled fans line the fence—not the catchfence, mind you—but the inside fence, which adds another couple of yards between them and Big Daddy. They strain for a glimpse of him; he is always is in the garage when he’s not in the cockpit of one of his two cars.

The back-up car

“If it was anybody but Jeff Gordon, I wouldn’t care and I wouldn’t be here,” says Kristoff Robert. That may come as a disappointment to Regan Smith, who drives for Denver-based Furniture Row Racing and practices here from time to time. Robert continues, “But I have never gotten to see him drive live,” despite living less than an hour from Infineon in California for a time.

Also along the fence is a mother-and-son duo, both wearing their 24 gear. Diane Nelson and her 12-year-old son, Jacob, watch hopefully as the cars are serviced. Why are they out here for what is a pretty boring process? “Because it’s Jeff Gordon,” they say in unison, with an implied, “Duh!”

“We’re hard-core fans,” says Diane. “We were hoping he’d come up here and give some autographs if he saw us standing here freezing all day. Maybe he would feel sorry for us and come out.”

Then there’s Rod Cole, who symbolizes the tough economy that NASCAR claims is behind the last couple of seasons’ declining attendance. “My wife and I are avid NASCAR fans and always have been,” he says. “In fact, we had season tickets to eight tracks for a long time, but it got so expensive, with travel and such” that they had to give them up.

Cole keeps track of Gordon

He’s here because he supports Hendrick Motorsports drivers. “I like all of those guys, especially Earnhardt and Johnson.” Why he’s enjoying watching this process is a little more emotion-driven: “It’s the enjoyment of watching the cars, the sound,” he says, and it reminds him of his days as a racer, some of which were spent on this very track.

Cole has a tool that other fans wish they’d thought of: Binoculars. He says he has a pretty good view of Gordon as the driver swaps between the two cars in the garage. (Of course, the guy with the DSLR and long lens mounted on a tripod in the grandstands is doing all right, too.)

And so they stand at the fence, talking racing, and watching their driver do circuits on the track, then pull into the garage. They are cold, but feel like a part of the process. Watching Jeff Gordon work brings them a little closer to the NASCAR experience, even in Colorado.

[Post-script: And then, in early afternoon, it starts to snow. As much as PPIR is "like" Phoenix, there's one major difference: It doesn't snow much in Phoenix.]

El Paso County Speedway 2011 Schedule

2011-02-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2011 – 10:00 – Tech. Inspection & Rookie Orientation (18245 State Hwy. 94)

April 23, 2011 -- 12:00 - 4:00 -- Hot Laps -- all classes
April 30, 2011 – 12:00 - 4:00 -- Hot laps -- all classes

May 7 -- 2:00pm – “Mothers Day Opener” – Modifieds, Stock Cars, High Plains Midgets, Hobby Trucks, Hornets, CO Dwarfs

May 21 – 5:00pm – “30/30 Shootout” – RMMRA Midgets, Modifieds (30 laps), Stock Cars (30 laps/$300 to win), 1200 Outlaws, Hobby Trucks, Hornets

June 4 – 5:00pm – “Back Row Challenge” – Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, High Plains Midgets, Hobby Trucks, Hornets, CO Dwarfs

June 11 – 5:00pm – “Spring Fling” - URSS 305 Sprints, Modifieds, Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, Hornets

June 18 – 5:00pm – “Fathers Day Trucktacular” – Hobby Trucks (25 laps/$ 250 to win), Modifieds, Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, High Plains Midgets, CO Dwarfs

July 2 – 5:00pm – “Patriot 500” – Modifieds (40 laps/$500 to win), Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, High Plains Midgets, Hornets, CO Dwarfs, The “Little Feet” Bicycle Challenge (Fireworks Extravaganza)

July 23 – 6:00pm – “106th El Paso County Fair” – “2nd Annual Commissioners Clash”, URSS 305 Sprints, RMMRA Midgets, Modifieds, CO Dwarfs, Hobby Trucks, 4th Annual Infamous “Boat Race” (special event ticket pricing)

Aug. 6 – 5:00pm – “Powder Puff Night” – Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Trucks, High Plains Midgets, Hornets, CO Dwarfs, Stock Car “Powder Puff”, Hornet “Powder Puff”

Aug. 20 – 5:00pm –- “Calhan Classic” – URSS 305 Sprints, Modifieds, 1200 Outlaws, Hobby Trucks, High Plains Midgets, CO Dwarfs

Aug. 27 – 5:00pm – “Fan Appreciation Night” – RMMRA Midgets, Modifieds, Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, Hornets, CO Dwarfs

Sept. 10 – 5:00pm – “Summer Sizzler” – URSS 305 Sprints, Stock Cars, 1200 Outlaws, High Plains Midgets, CO Dwarfs
Sept. 17 -- 5:00pm – “Scout Night” – Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Trucks, Hornets, High Plains Midgets, CO Dwarfs, Mechanics Race (all classes)

I-25 Speedway 2011 Schedule

2011-02-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

DATE     Event Description     Event Type
4-16-2011     Hotlaps - All Divisions 10:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.     Testing
4-23-2011     Hotlaps - All Divisions 10:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.     Testing
4-30-2011     Hotlaps - All Divisions 10:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.     Testing
5-07-2011     Hotlaps - All Divisions 10:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. comp.BBQ Lunch     Testing


5-14-2011     GAM    SPT    STS     MS     H     Weekly
5-21-2011     LM       SPT    MS      H      CARC     Weekly
5-28-2011     GAM    STS    MS      H    F-8 tentative C-F8     Weekly
6-04-2011     LM (ten. special)     SPT     STS     L       C-F8     Special
6-11-2011     LM     GAM    STS     MS     H        C-F8     Weekly
6-18-2011     GAM   SPT     MS      H       SM tentative     Special
6-25-2011     GAM   SPT     STS    MS    CARC    STD     Weekly
7-02-2011     GAM    STS     H       L (Nat. Qualifer) Fireworks     Special
7-09-2011     LM     GAM    STS     H       MS      C-F8     Weekly
7-16-2011     LM      SPT     STS    MS       H    F-8 tenative     Weekly
7-23-2011     GAM (T-25)   SPT    MS       H     C-F8   STD     Weekly
7-30-2011     LM     GAM    SPT   STS       H     Weekly
8-06-2011     LM (ten. special)      SPT      STS    MS      C-F8     Special
8-13-2011     LM     GAM     MS     H       CARC     Weekly
8-20-2011     GAM   SPT     STS     MS      H         Charger-F8     Weekly
8-27 thu 9-03 2011     Closed for State Fair Break
9-10-2011     GAM (100 lap)   SPT    STS      H       L     Special
9-17-2011     LM     GAM    STS     MS     H     Weekly
9-24-2011     GAM     SPT   STS     MS     H       C-F8    Weekly

Rocky Mountain Lighting Sprint Association 2011 Schedule

2011-02-05T05:15:00.001-07:00

The RMLSA is a Winged and Non-Wing mini sprint association that races in the Rocky Mountain region at race tracks such as: I-76 Speedway in Fort Morgan Colorado, Phillips County Raceway in Holyoke Colorado, Sherman County Speedway in Goodland Kansas, San Luis Valley Motorplex in Mosca Colorado, and Thunder Mountain Raceway in Olathe Colorado.

04-03-2011 Practice at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan Practice
04-10-2011 Practice at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan Practice
04-16-2011 Practice at Sherman County Speedway Sherman County Speedway Goodland, KS Practice
04-17-2011 Practice at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan Practice
05-01-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan W Race
05-07-2011 Race at Sherman County Speedway Sherman County Speedway Goodland, KS NW Race
05-21-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan W Race
06-11-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan W Race
06-12-2011 Race at Phillips County Raceway Phillips County Raceway Holyoke W Race
06-25-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan NW Race
07-02-2011 Race at Thunder Mountain Raceway Thunder Mountain Raceway Olathe W Race
07-03-2011 Race at Thunder Mountain Raceway Thunder Mountain Raceway Olathe W Race
07-16-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan NW Race
07-17-2011 Race at Phillips County Raceway Phillips County Raceway Holyoke NW Race
07-23-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan W Race
08-06-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan W Race
08-13-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan NW Race
08-20-2011 Race at San Luis Valley Motorplex San Luis Valley Motorplex Mosca W Race
08-27-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan NW Race
09-10-2011 Race at I-76 I-76 Speeday Fort Morgan NW Race

Chris Eggleston to Run Camping World Trucks in 2011

2011-02-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

From Eggleston Racing PR:

New NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team to debut at the Nextera Energy Resources 250, Prime-Time Friday Night - Speed TV Event, February 18th at the World Famous Daytona International Speedway.

Owner Rob Winfield announces the formation of the Winfield Motorsports No. 27 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team. Tough Trucks and Tough racing fits the mold of the owner’s many years in NASCAR dating back to Cale Yarborough’s Cup Team.

Experience and Youth Meet: This new team is also excited to announce their Driver for the 2011 season is Chris Eggleston. While only 21 years old, Chris a Colorado native, has won Championships and hundreds of feature wins in different divisions across the country. Chris had five starts in the NCWTS in 2010 finishing 11th in his first start.

Chris: “I can’t thank Rob, team manager and owner of Winfield Motorsports, enough for calling me up in the off season to give me this opportunity. He has a lot of great ideas planned for this team in the near future and my goal is to perform at an optimal level of my ability to help fulfill those goals.”

“I’m just so excited that I am getting the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series again. It’s like getting a taste of something you always dream about doing and all you want is more. From that, I thrive and can’t wait to get back into the seat of a truck, let alone get to compete at such a historic track such as Daytona International Speedway, with many drivers I idolize. I will work on gaining respect from all my Competitors, NASCAR, the Fans, my Sponsors and Winfield Motorsports”.

Phillips County Raceway 2011 Schedule

2011-02-01T05:58:00.001-07:00

MAY
Sun, May 22 12:00pm Test - N - Tune All Divisions

Sun, May 29 5:00pm BST Modifieds, Late Models, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies

JUNE
Sun, June 12 5:00pm Lighting Sprints, Mods, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies

Sun, June 26 5:00pm Sport Mod Challenge, Mods, Stocks, Hobbies, Hornets

JULY
Sun, July 3 5:00pm RMMRA Midgets, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies, Dwarfs

Sun, July 17 5:00pm Lighting Sprints, Mods, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies

Fri, July 29 7:00pm BST Mods County Fair Tour, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies, Dwarfs

AUGUST
Sun, Aug 7 5:00pm Late Models, Mods, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies

SEPTEMBER
Sun, Sept 4 5:00pm Sport Mod Challenge, Mods, Stocks, Hobbies, Dwarfs

Sun, Sept 11 5:00pm *Rainout only if needed

Sun, Sept 18 5:00pm BST Mods COL. Championship, Sport Mods, Stocks, Hobbies, Dwarfs

I-76 Speedway 2011 Schedule

2011-01-21T21:38:00.001-07:00

2011 RACING SCHEDULE

APRIL

Sun 3       12 PM    HOT LAPS   All Divisions

Sun 10     12 PM    HOT LAPS   All Divisions

Sun 17    12 PM    HOT LAPS   All Divisions



MAY

Sun 1    1:00 PM   ICE BREAKER SPECIAL– Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, RML Sprints, and LATE MODELS

Sat   7    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, and 250 Micros

Sat 14    6:00 PM   Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micros, MIDGETS, and LATE MODELS

Sat 21    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, RML Sprints

Sat 28    6:00 PM   BST MODIFIEDS, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, and LATE MODELS

JUNE

Sat 4      6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, and 250 Micro-Sprints

Sat 11    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, RML-Sprints, MIDGETS, and LATE MODELS

*Sat 18   6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, Dwarfs, and URSS SPRINTS

Sat 25    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, RML Sprints,

                                     ~~FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT~~

JULY

Sat 2   6:00 PM      Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, LATE MODELS
**INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL * I-76 FIREWORKS SHOW**

Sat 9    6:00 PM     Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, MIDGETS

Sat 16 6:00PM      Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, RML Sprints, LATE MODELS

Sat 23 6:00 PM     Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, Dwarfs, RML Sprints

*Sat 30 6:00 PM     Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, URSS SPRINTS, and LATE MODELS

AUGUST

Sat   6    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, RML Sprints,

                            ~~FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT~~

Sat 13    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, RML Sprints, LATE MODELS,

                               BST $1,000.00 CHALLENGE 40 LAPS



Sat 20    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, MIDGETS

Sat 27    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos. 250-Micros, RML Sprints, LATE MODELS

SEPTEMBER

Sat 3     6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, 250-Micro Sprints, Dwarfs

Sat 10    6:00 PM   Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, RML Sprints,

                                LATE MODELS, SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS


OCTOBER
23RD ANNUAL FALL CLASSIC

Sat   8    5:00 PM Modifieds, Sport Mods, Econos, Dwarfs, (other classes to be announced)
Sun   9    12 PM       23RD ANNUAL FALL CLASSIC FINAL MAIN EVENTS

United Rebel Sprint Series Releases 2011 Schedule

2011-01-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

by URSS Media
from Big West Racing

The sixth season of the 305 sprint cars of the United Rebel Sprint Series is slated to be one of the biggest and most exciting since the traveling series began. This year, series promoter and founder Rick Salem of Oberlin has 44 races scheduled for the numerous drivers. That number could grow in the future, as well, when more dates are finalized.

The series again will consist of two regions — Kansas and Colorado — and a national points champion, along with a champion in each division, will be crowned. “We’ve got a good schedule put together,” Salem said. “I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got a few more quality shows that are going to pay a little more. We’re just trying to build on what we’ve done.”

The newest event for the Rebels will be the inaugural URSS 305 Belleville Nationals on Aug. 4 at the famed track in Belleville, Kan. The winner will pocket a cool $3,000 payout — the largest in series history. “That will be a good show,” Salem said. “We put on a good race there last year, and they were happy with the deal. We’re trying to build on that deal. It will probably be the biggest show we have this year. It should be a whale of a show.”

The Rebels also will compete for the fourth year in a row at the “Wheatshocker Rebel Nationals” at RPM Speedway in Hays. The two-day event, scheduled for July 16 to 17, has provided the winner with a $2,000 payout the first three years the event has taken place.

The URSS also will host two non-wing shows July 23 and Sept. 10 at El Paso County Speedway in Calhan, Colo.

The series also makes a return to Dodge City Raceway Park for two national races at the end of the season. The Rebels haven’t competed in Dodge City since 2009.

The Great American Dirt Track at Jetmore Motorplex also will host a national event Aug. 27.

The series drivers will be travelling to tracks in four states in 2011 — Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Utah.

For more information about the United Rebel Sprint Series, contact Rick Salem at (785) 475-7010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (785) 475-7010 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or rksalem@eaglecom.net, or visit the URSS online at www.unitedrebelsprintseries.com

2011 URSS SCHEDULE

May 14 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
May 22 - Dawson County Raceway - Lexington NE - KS
May 27 - RPM Speedway - Hays KS - KS
May 28 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
May 29 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS

June 3 - Belleville High Banks - Belleville KS -KS
June 4 - TBA
June 10 - Hutchinson Raceway Park - Hutchinson KS - KS
June 10 - TBA
June 11 - El Paso County Speedway - Calhan CO - CO
June 11 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
June 12 -WaKeeney Speedway - WaKeeney KS - KS
June 18 - I-76 Speedway - Fort Morgan CO - CO
June 25 - Hayden Speedway - Hayden CO - CO
June 25 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS

July 2 - TBA
July 3 - TBA
July 8 - Hutchinson Raceway Park - Hutchinson KS - KS
July 9 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
July 15 - WaKeeney Speedway - WaKeeney KS - KS/CO
July 16 - RPM Speedway - Hays KS - Wheatshocker Nationals - KS/CO
July 17 - RPM Speedway - Hays KS - Wheatshocker Nationals -KS/CO
July 22 - TBA
July 23 - El Paso County Speedway - Calhan CO - non-wing - CO
July 23 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
July 29 - TBA
July 30 - I-76 Speedway - Ft Morgan CO - CO/KS
July 31 - Fairgrounds Speedway - Liberal KS - tentative KS

Aug. 1 - Fairgrounds Speedway - Liberal KS - tentative KS
Aug. 2 - Fairgrounds Speedway - Liberal KS -tentative KS
Aug. 4 - Belleville High Banks - Belleville - KS Nationals KS
Aug. 5 - Hutchinson Raceway Park - Hutchinson KS - KS
Aug. 5 - Thunder Ridge Mtrsprts Park - Craig CO - CO
Aug. 6 - Rush County Speedway - La Crosse KS - KS
Aug. 6 - Diamond Mtn Speedway - Vernal UT - CO
Aug. 11 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
Aug. 12 - TBA
Aug. 13 - Lincoln County Speedway - North Platte NE - KS
Aug. 14 - Dawson County Speedway - Lexington NE - KS
Aug. 20 - El Paso County Speedway - Calhan CO - CO
Aug. 20 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS
Aug. 27 - Hayden Speedway - Hayden CO - CO
Aug. 27 - Great American Dirt Track - Jetmore KS - KS Nationals - KS

Sept. 2 - RPM Speedway - Hays KS - KS
Sept. 3 - TBA
Sept. 4 - TBA
Sept. 9 - TBA
Sept. 10 - El Paso County Speedway - Calhan CO non-wing CO
Sept. 30 - DCRP - Dodge City KS - National - KS/CO

Oct. 1 - DCRP - Dodge City KS - National - KS/CO

Putting the Rumor to Rest: No New Owners at CNS

2011-01-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

by Joe Starr
Big West Racing Forum

Last Sunday, it came to my attention that the rumor that Ed Vecciarelli had purchased Colorado National Speedway was making the rounds again. I was aware of that talk last fall and spoke with Ed on the subject and we all had a good laugh. We just put that to rest and moved on to the “Off Season”. (Does that really exist?)

Since last Sunday I have had phone calls, e-mails, private messages, instant messages, you name it, all on the subject of Ed buying the speedway. Did here, is he, is his going to, and some that said it had already happened and that it was signed sealed and delivered.

The best way to answer this question was to make some phone calls; I have spoken with Track Manager Scott Backman, Track owner Jim Nordhougen, and to Ed Vecchiarelli himself . All said this is nothing more that a rumor, they don’t know where it got started and that there is no truth to this what so ever. Ed was the most vehement about it saying that he has no intentions to buy, become a partner or an investor in Colorado National Speedway.

He has some business things that will be taking his full attention and any thoughts of being involved with the operations of any racetrack are the farthest thing from him mind.

Bottom line is that, after conversations with all of the principals, no change in ownership at Colorado National Speedway is taking place.

2011 COLORADO NATIONAL SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE

2011-01-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

From CNS Media

We are excited to release our 2011 schedule. This year we are featuring a longer racing season with some big Changes.

The Races will start 2 hours earlier in April and October with the Qualifying dash beginning at 4:00pm. The figure 8 division will join the Late Models, Sportsman, Pro trucks and Super Stocks as a sanctioned NASCAR division.

The Challenge Cup XXXVII will be moved up to Labor Day. We are actively seeking sponsorship for this race, to return it to the huge Late Model Race that it once was. Stay tuned, further announcements will be coming soon.

Another change will be the combing of the grand American Modifieds and the Modified Coupes into one division. We are excited to welcome back the K&N Pro Series West on August 6th for the NAPA/Toyota 150. Last but not least we will wrap up the 2011 season with not one but two Championship nights October 15th and 22nd. With Practice just around the corner on March 19th and 26th we can’t wait to get started. We hope to see every one soon at Colorado National Speedway “YOU’VE GOTTA BE HERE!”

All dates are tentative and subject to change

MARCH:
Sat 19 - Practice/Tech 9-4pm
Sat 26 - Practice/Tech 9-4pm

APRIL:
Sat 2 - LM SP SS F8 - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 9 - LM PT SS LEG TR - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 16 - SP PT SS F8 MOD - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 23 - LM SP SS LEG TR - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 30 - LM PT F8 SM MOD - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00

MAY:
Sat 7 - LM SP PT SS TR - $8.00 (MOMS) MOTHER’S DAY
Sat 14 - SP PT F8 LEG MOD
Sat 21 - LM PT SS F8 SM
Sat 28 - LM 100 SP SS LEG TR

JUNE:
Sat 4 - SP PT F8 MOD SM
Sat 11 - LM PT SS LEG TR
Sat 18 - LM SP SS F8 MOD - $8.00 (DADS) FATHER’S DAY
Sat 25 - LM SP PT LEG TR

JULY:
Sat 2 - SP PT MOD F8 - FIREWORKS
Sun 3 - LM SS LEG SM TR - FIREWORKS
Sat 9 - LM SS F8 LEG MOD
Sat 16 - SP PT SS LEG SM TR
Sat 23 - LM SP PT F8 MOD
Sat 30 - LM SP F8 LEG SM

AUGUST:
Sat 6 - K & N Pro Series West SS F8 LEG
Sat 13 - LM SP PT SS TR
Sat 20 - LM PT SS MOD F8
Sat 27 - LM SP LEG F8 SM

SEPTEMBER:
Sat 3 - LM 100 SS LEG F8 - Challenge Cup XXXVII
Sat 10 - SP PT SS F8 MOD
Sat 17 - LM SP LEG SM TR
Sat 24 - LM PT SS F8 MOD

OCTOBER:
Sat 1 - LM SP PT LEG TR - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 8 - LM SP SS F8 MOD - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00
Sat 15 - LM100 SS F8 SM - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00 - Championship Night 1
Sat 22 - SP50 PT50 LEG MOD TR - QUALIFYING DASH @ 4:00 - Championship Night 2

LM = Late Model PT = Pro-Truck SP = Sportsman SS = Super StockF-8 = Figure 8 LEG = Legend SM = Super Modified MOD = Grand American Modified & Modified Coupes TR = Trains Bold = Special Event, Underlined= Qualifying Dash

The Show

2011-01-16T21:14:00.005-07:00

In the end, a week of racing action at the 5th Annual Wild West Shootout came to an end with a longtime favorite, not a plucky newbie or a young challenger, taking home the big check.

Batesville, Arkansas’ Billy Moyer powered past Terry Phillips to win Sunday’s A-Main at USA Raceway in Tucson. The two battled for most of the race. “I was just waiting for the right time, there,” says Moyer. “The cars were pretty even.”

Moyer signs a t-shirt after his win.

But then Phillips swapped lines with Moyer and that was the deciding factor. Moyer jumped ahead and took the 002 of RC Whitwell with him.

“I was just set up, ready to get him underneath,” recounts Moyer.

The mood after the race at his hauler is strange. People stand around almost reverently, awaiting Moyer’s arrival, and when he gets there, they don’t applaud as you might expect. The simply watch him climb out of the car. Once he does, a few fans ask for autographs and congratulate him.

It is an eventful race that sees a nasty wreck when the 6 car of Dylan Smith hits Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth going into turn 3. That shoves Hollingsworth into the wall. Smith’s car starts to go airborne and he's hit by #99JR Frank Heckenast, Jr. That seals Smith's fate, flipping him onto his roof in the apex of the turn. Heckenast ends up agaisnt the wall in turn 4.

“I was running the top, and I went to go low in three, and I got into somebody, don’t even know who, and just shot right up into the wall,” says Smith.

Both drivers walked away from this wreck.

“Got into a wreck last summer and broke my arm, so I learned to let go of the steering wheel,” he adds. “It’s a well-built car, a Victory chassis, a safe car—and I have a good seat in there too, plus I wear a HANS. All that safety stuff counts.” It’s why, although he’ll be sore tomorrow, he walked away from the wreck.

There are more people standing around the 6 car’s hauler than Moyer’s. They look in awe at the orange wreckage the used to be a Late Model racecar.

“We’ll get her back to Nebraska and see what we can do with her,” he says with a sigh.

Now, let’s go back in the day a bit and check in with a driver: Mercedes Harris, who pilots the #29 Modified, is back again today. She says they’ve gone through the car with a fine-tooth comb, looking for a stubborn problem causing her to continually throw the power-steering belt. Lots of replaced parts, some of which just arrived this morning.

It better be fixed, she says, “or I’ll just sit here and cry.” After days of having her racing sabotaged by the problem, you may understand why.

So out she goes for hot laps, and experiences no problems there. Of course, at this event, hot laps are five times around the track. That’s all. Not much of a test.

The real test comes in the Heat race. Harris starts and all appears fine, although she’s not very fast. And then…well, you know the story. She loses the belt and rolls into the infield.

Harris does not appear for the B-Main race. She’s done for the day.

Everyone here calls it The Show. They never refer to a “race,” but always, as if they’ve been indoctrinated, to The Show. When I tell a driver she was fun to watch, she says, “Thanks—that’s the Show we’re trying to put on for you.”

In this way, racing is a performance. The competitors want to win, of course, but they want to do it in a way that attracts a crowd. High speeds, throwing dirt, flinging their cars into the corners—those all contribute to a good Show.

And $10,000 to win the Late Model feature tonight makes for an even better Show and usual. The drivers who compete for it are just that much more motivated. They run on the edge of recklessness, trying to keep their cars in one piece while pushing the performance envelope.

It’s all part of The Show.

It Is What It Is

2011-01-15T21:36:00.004-07:00

Here’s how this works: When #2, Trevor Glasser, needs a new racecar at USA Raceway in Tucson, he gets one from a neighboring driver.

Glasser comes in from his Late Model Heat with smoke trailing along behind the 2 car. Remember, when you let the smoke out, the car generally doesn’t run anymore.

I ask a crewmember what’s wrong and, a little testily, he tells me: ”The motor. It’s broke.”

Glasser is very angry, and I’d swear I heard him mumble something about “Just like last time.” He retreats to his hauler to consider the end of his night and likely, his weekend, since no one at this level carries an extra engine.

The crew starts the process of packing up their tools and gear.

But he was not done. In short order, Glasser’s borrowed a car from Rob Mayea, his backup car, and marked it with duct tape as #2.

It’s a new day for #29 Modified driver Mercedes Harris, and she’s pleased to tell me that her crew has figured out the mystery of the loose power-steering belt. Last night, it came off repeatedly, taking her out of contention.

Now, though, they discovered that the power-steering pump was moving, and that allowed enough play in the belt for it to come loose during racing. The fix was not tough: lock it down with shims.

Harris, when her car is running right.

“I’m ready for some day racing,” says Harris, who is also encouraged by her pill-draw, which was much better today (#15); unlike yesterday, she’ll start close to the front of her Heat race.

In fact, she’s in the second row. She won’t stay there, unfortunately, because despite their best efforts, the power-steering belt comes off the engine again. She finishes seventh out of eight cars.

Harris seems inconsolable after the race. “This is killing me,” she mumbles. The crew is baffled as well. They replace the belt, but still have no idea why this keeps happening.

The belt stays on during her B-Main race, but she finishes 8th and that’s not good enough to advance.

Over in the Late Model Heats and B-Mains, there’s a surprise: James Chavez, Jr. has made the B-Main. Chavez is the young driver who is running his crate-motor Late Model in a division dominated by cars without that limitation. He’s from a few miles away in Tucson, and is here to learn from the racers he calls the “best of the best.”

Chavez hasn’t made a Feature yet this week, and today’s B-Main is as close as he’s been.

His father, James Chavez, Sr., knows he’s not likely to advance. He shakes his head and says, “No, he won’t make it. But every race he’s in helps his technique.” He points out that his son picked up about a second by watching the more experienced drivers and emulating their lines and techniques.

The Chavez's basic-yet-effective pit.

Senior insists that Junior isn’t demoralized by his lack of wins at the Wild West Shootout, despite the fact that he’s done well in other series previously. The whole goal of being here was to learn.

“The other guys have more money, too,” he says. “They’re putting on new tires for the B-Main. We put on new tires…for the season,” he adds, with a smirk. “It is what it is.”

Besides, he points out, the Heat race included such notables as Billy Moyer and Jimmy Mars, and Junior held his own against them for several laps. That may inspire confidence that driving skill can beat engine power in some circumstances.

In the B-Main, Junior acquits himself nicely, starting 8th and finishing 7th. Not good enough to advance, but certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. His line may have made the difference—he likes to run up on top, but that only serves to allow cars to pass him on the inside. When he drops to the inside, he makes several solid passes, and gets spots back, but it is too late to make it further up front by that time. On Sunday, he may remember that and adjust accordingly.

For those keeping score, let me point out that, after a disastrous Friday in which he missed the Feature, Louisiana’s Ray Moore started 11th and finished 3rd in Saturday’s Late Model Feature, which bodes very well for Sunday’s big-money finale. Trevor Glasser did not make the Feature in his borrowed car. Brad Looney started 7th and was 5th when the checkers flew Saturday, also an impressive finish.

A Tale of Two Racers

2011-01-15T07:42:00.001-07:00

When last we left the competition at USA Raceway in Tucson, Arizona, Modified driver Holly Jones was pleased to be in the back row of her Heat race, because that would give her the chance to pass more drivers and thus, earn more points.

However, in one of those “watch what you wish for” moments, Jones has now found that the cars ahead of her #121 are “all really good drivers,” and she’s worried.

Meanwhile, driver Mercedes Harris of Deming, New Mexico is a little annoyed with her pill-draw, because it puts her in the back of her Heat races, and she doesn’t like that.

Harris watches as the crew replaces her power-steering belt.

Her evening gets worse when her #29 Modified throws its power-steering belt during jot laps. That takes Harris out of the race.

“We had this problem last week and in practice,” she says, frustrated. The team isn’t sure why it keeps happening, which, of course, makes it that much harder to repair. All they can do is put on a new belt and tighten everything up,

They send the #29 back out for the Heat. This is Mercedes’ chance to get straight into the Feature, and she’s pumped up. She starts eighth in the nine-car race.

She moves up a couple of spots right after the drop of the green flag, but then gets stuck behind the 21T of Wade Simmons,

But Harris is an aggressive racer. When she decides she’s faster than Simmons, she begins beating on his rear bumper in an attempt to move him. Every lap, she gives him a shove when they go into turn 3, but each time he recovers.

She finishes the Heat in fifth place. “We had problems with him last weekend,” she says. “He’s just fast enough to be in the way.” She shakes her head. “He’s good at blocking, too.”

Harris will make the B-Main, so she’s not upset about the situation.

Simmons coolly fails to acknowledge that Harris was trying to move the 21T. For that matter, he doesn’t even seem to know who’s driving the 29. When I ask about the beating and banging, Simmons replies, “Oh, was he? Didn’t notice.” Then, with a broad smile, he adds, “No harm, no foul.”

Holly Jones finishes sixth in her heat, and with spark plug/ignition trouble that slowed her down. Despite “all the really good drivers” ahead of her, and advances to the B-Main, where she starts third.

Jones, pleased with her night.

Jones fights hard for second with the #10eh car of Aaron Turnbull. She throws her car into the turns, sometimes high enough that she slips out of the groove, others times, down on the bottom of the turn. She’s got a fast car and knows it. But Turnbull will not give up the spot. Just as it seems Jones has sealed the deal, he comes roaring back in turn two and snatches it back.

She’ll take third and advance to the Feature. Jones is very pleased with the outcome, saying, “I’m excited. Now I just need to finish good. Or just finish. The Features here are a wreckfest.”

Now Mercedes Harris starts the B-Main in her attempt to transfer into the feature. She moves up, slowly, until she’s running fifth, good enough to make the A-Main, when—

--the power-steering belt comes off. Again. A DNF. Harris is disappointed, if not surprised. They’ll have to try to figure out why this keeps happening before Saturday’s races.

The Modified A-Main is 25 laps, $1,000 to win. Jones is far back in the pack when the green flag flies: 21st out of 24 cars.

Jones starts moving up, passing a car at a time, sometimes losing a spot, but always flinging the #121 into the corners wildly. It’s fun to watch Jones drive.

In the end, she takes 14th, which isn’t great, but certainly isn’t bad. She made some passing points, avoided the wrecks, and has a car that doesn’t need to be repaired before Saturday’s racing.

Some nights, that’s good enough.

Scrappy Because She Needs to Be

2011-01-14T18:03:00.002-07:00

The Wild West Shootout at USA Raceway in Tucson isn’t a male-only event, but it almost feels that way—there are just three female drivers entered among the dozens of men.

Holly Jones drives the #121 Modified. She’s just arrived from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Holly, who I have never seen race, is a petite woman, yet seems to be a scrapper, someone who won’t take crap from the guys.

Not that she expects to have to. “Here in the southwest, it’s a little easier [to be accepted as a female driver],” she says. ‘In other areas of the country, girls are expected to stay in the bleachers, or they run ‘Powder Puff' races.”

Jones, who has been racing for ten years, is running her first Shootout races tonight. She did have a chance to observe some earlier races, and says, “I think it’s a fast track, Very fast. You have to be on your game for this one.” Over-reaction, she adds, will be the biggest hazard drivers face.

She knows there’s some resistance to females racing at this level, but takes a pragmatic view, pointing out that she has to earn respect every week, “but then, every racer has to do that.” Surprisingly, some of the worst comments come from other women.

“Girls are catty,” she laughs. “Someone’s gonna come up and say something, you have to hold your ground and not give in.”

Holly awaits her pill-draw.

Tonight’s prediction: “I like the track, I think it’ll work out in my favor. Qualifying will be a challenge; a crappy pill draw will mean I won’t get as many points because I won’t get to pass as many cars.” Jones draws pill 72, which should put her near the back and allow her to pass everyone—if she can.

Expectations

2011-01-14T09:05:00.001-07:00

I’m sitting in Ray Moore’s hauler at Tucson’s USA Raceway on Wednesday afternoon, and he’s pretty confident about tonight’s racing. Moore drove here with his crew from Shreveport, Louisiana, taking vacation from his “real” job in the natural gas industry to compete at the 5th Annual Wild West Shootout.

Moore doing a little business

“Seventeen hours,” he says. “We normally don’t travel this far. Just came out for a little vacation.”

Moore performed reasonably well last weekend, making both A-Mains and finishing 12th on Saturday and 10th on Sunday in a 24-car field. “We keep making the rest [of the A-Mains], it’ll be a good week for us,” says Moore.

Out back of the hauler, Moore’s #93 Dirt Late-Model is undergoing a series of checks for the night’s racing.

“We compete very well, we have top-of-the-line equipment,” says crew member Rusty Wyatt as he examines the engine. “We know when we travel around the nation, we’re competing with guys who do this full-time, so we have to show up just as good as they are.”

“We had two days off, talked about our set-ups and made some adjustments,” says Wyatt “Now we’re ready to go put it in the winner’s circle.”

When you talk to dirt-track racers, the subject inevitably turns to the racing surface. Because a dirt track is infinitely variable, unlike the relative stability of an asphalt track, knowing the conditions is critical. Every driver has an opinion on how the surface should be treated.

Drivers watch as the track is "cut."

Moore is satisfied, so far. “The track’s been decent. It rubbered-up pretty good last night.”

Not so happy is the driver of the 14 Dirt Late Model, Brad Looney. Although he’s also done well, winning both his heat races, he isn’t so sure the track is in top form.

“It’s…all right. It’s not my favorite conditions,” he says. “They need to maybe have more moisture in it earlier, so you don’t need to mess with it throughout the show, cutting it up and stuff.”

Looney says he’s getting to know the track. “We’ve tried a lot, and learned a lot each night.” He is pleased that today’s racing will take place after dark. “The track should hold up a lot longer. It’s hard to do anything when that sun’s beating down on the surface.”

The Republic, Missouri-based driver is back as USA Raceway for his second year.
He, too, is confident, pointing out that it was only bad luck—a blown tire—that took him out of contention last weekend.

On the other end of that spectrum is James Chavez, Jr. He drives the #94 Late Model.
Chavez, who is from Tucson (“About six miles down the road”), has yet to make a Main this week.

Chavez gets ready to go out.

“Well, it’s a crate motor,” he says, almost apologetically. “I do as well as I can with these guys out here. I can’t compete with the big dogs.”

“This is the best of the best,” he adds. “You’ve got your Billy Moyer, your Jimmy Mars. I’m used to running at tracks with the local hot-shots, but these guys are at least two steps above them.”

He’s learning from them, too, and picking up tips on the track. During the Friday practice last week, he followed some good drivers, learned the line, and improved his lap times.

Chavez has fairly modest goals. “I want to show what I got with what I have, and, of course, make an A-Main.”

He finds the surface to his advantage, if the horsepower’s not. “I like how it’s going dry-slick, because when it’s tacky, that allows the big-motor guys to just put the hammer down,” he smiles. “This makes it a driver’s track.” He knows he could have a shot under these conditions.

As the sun sets, racing gets underway. Ray Moore absolutely dominates his Heat race, jumping out if front quickly and taking a full straightaway lead. He takes the checkers in what looked like an effortless win.

“Anybody who can get out there in clean air can look pretty good,” he says afterwards. Moore goes straight to the outside front row of the A-Main.

Looney struggles a bit, but does will in his B-Main and also transfers into the Feature, starting in the 7th row.

Chavez, however, once again finds himself on the outside looking in. He starts up front for the Heat, then almost immediately begins dropping back, and finishes the race dead last. In the B-Main, he does equally poorly, and does not transfer to the A-Main. Well, there’s always Friday night.

Moore looks great going into the Feature; when the green drops, he once again flies out to a commanding lead. The clean air is working for him again, and he looks like the man to beat.

Then disaster strikes: a wreck causes a restart, and this time, Moore gets all balled up in traffic. Suddenly, he’s second, then third. Billy Moyer jumps out into the clean air and now he takes off. Looney drops back to 19th.

Moore takes the checkers in fifth. Better than last weekend, but not what he was hoping to see. Now the question is, can he close he deal in one of the last three days at USA Raceway?

Tucson: Getting Back to Normal at a Racetrack

2011-01-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama was in Tucson on Wednesday. He spoke to a crowd of thousands at a memorial for the six people killed when a gunman attempted to assassinate US Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday.

I point this out because the shooting is still very much on the minds of Tucsonans. It is hard to get into the spirit of racing when a massacre has just happened. I used to live in this town, back in the 80s, and I can only imagine how it affects the residents.

As I drove overnight from Colorado Springs to Tucson, I had the somewhat unfortunate opportunity to listen to talk radio, where the shooting was the topic of the night. Predictably, the reaction broke along party lines: Liberals blamed conservatives for using gun-based rhetoric (notably, Sarah Palin and her now-infamous “target” map) and conservatives were on the defense, saying that Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik overstepped his bounds by injecting politics into what is arguably the action of a mentally-ill individual.

Either way, the victims are still dead or injured. The congresswoman is still in the hospital with a serious brain injury. And we still see the smiling face of would-be political assassin Jared Lee Loughlin in his booking photo.

Nevertheless, Tucson is beautiful this time of year and I made an effort to put aside my thoughts about the violence. It was about 65 degrees and sunny Wednesday, a stark (and much-appreciated) difference from Colorado’s frigid winter temperature, which stood, I believe, at about 3 degrees when I left. My SUV started the trip with snow on the roof and finished without it.

Desert racing

At the track, of course, life goes on. The only obvious sign of the community’s sadness is the US flag, which flies at half-staff. Dozens of race teams from around the country are at this weeklong event, which, thanks to timing, now has an unfortunate name: the 5th Annual Wild West Shootout.

They are racing at USA Raceway on the city’s southside, a very nice—and large—facility. The dirt track is a broad, nearly cricular, 3/8th of a mile, and the grandstands, designed (like Pikes Peak International Raceway, with the front row elevated) to give even the front row a good view of the track, accommodate about 4,000; today, they hold considerably less, it being a weekday. There’s a VIP Lounge with a bar and glass windows atop the grandstand and a scoring tower above that.

Lots of Grandstand seating, a VIP Lounge and Control Tower

I was pleased to see the pitside grandstands are situated at the entry to Turn 3, thus providing a good View From Turn 3. The pit stalls are plentiful and are concrete. And the surrounding desert and mountains are beautiful, especially at sunset,

Today’s race is a night race, as will be Friday’s. The setting sun brings with it cool temperatures, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Even in January, the desert sun dries out the clay track and forces changes in the cars’ set-up. Drivers study the surface and try to predict what it will do, as well as how best to set up their cars.

Drivers' Meeting: No Obama Jokes Allowed

At the drivers’ meeting, Race Director Chris Kearns makes a joke about Obama being in the VIP area, “so put on a good show for him.” No one laughs. Too soon?

Soon, they get to work running hot laps. Though there are just two classes—Modifieds and Dirt-Car Late Models—running tonight, there are so many entries that the drivers get only about five laps at speed. The heat races are similarly packed: each class runs four races of nine cars each.

Still, the track operations staff does a solid job of keeping everything moving, Although they do get behind their schedule, that isn’t caused by poor time management, but by inevitable wrecks and red flags.

NEXT: Let's go Racing!

Doar Returns to Wild West Shootout Victory Lane After Seven Year Absence

2011-01-10T03:04:00.002-07:00

by Ryan Neuharth

Tucson, Ariz – It had been so long since New Richmond, WI driver Pat Doar sat in Victory Lane at the Wild West Shootout that the event technically didn’t even exist. USA Raceway’s mid-winter mini-series began in 2001 at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, and was known then as the Early Thaw. The 2003 edition saw Doar score two-wins and the series point’s championship, but the well had run dry until this sunny Tucson afternoon.

After a less-than-stellar performance in the series opener, it appeared that Terry Phillips would not be denied in his quest too add to his status as the series all-time wins leader. Having blasted from his fifth starting spot to take the lead on lap two, the driver known as “TP” began to motor away as fierce battles erupted throughout the running order.

Behind the top three Phillips’ teammate and opening night runner-up Jeremy Payne lead a group of contenders that included Clay Daly, Billy Moyer, Jr, Jimmy Mars and Bub McCool. That quintuplet seemingly changed positions with each flick of the steering wheel, only to have their fun interrupted by cautions for Brad Looney on lap seven and Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth on lap twelve.

Running third during the races middle stages, Doar slotted behind race long leader Phillips and hometown favorite and USA Raceway Modified Champion RC Whitwell. With the top three blasting around the top-side of the immaculately prepared speedplant, Doar took advantage of lapped traffic to maneuver past Whitwell and quickly took the fight to Phillips. It was short lived as Phillips shoved the nose off of turn two, making hard contact with the backstretch concrete and handing the lead to Doar.

In the scramble, Payne edged by Whitwell for the runner-up spot with Moyer, Jr. up from ninth on lap fifteen to run fourth when the yellow would appear for top five runner Daly on lap twenty-two. Just like 24-hours earlier, a late race restart would tell a dramatic tale, but unlike night number one, Doar would have to survive not one, but three restarts in the races final seven laps.

The first of which provided the most drama as Doar jumped the cushion in turn one allowing Whitwell to throw the slide job to momentary grab the point in turn two. Down low, Payne pulled even with Whitwell as Doar threaded the needle making it a three wide charge towards turn three. Driving in deeper than his counterparts, Doar eclipsed Payne before sliding in front of Whitwell to regain the lead he lost half a lap earlier.

“I didn’t know where he was, I just drove it in there and it stuck,” Doar said from Element 7 Victory Lane. “He was out of sight and I hope it was clean.”

Just as things appeared settled out front, all eyes shifted to hard charging Billy Moyer. Having started twenty-first, the Hall of Fame driver cracked the top ten on lap twenty and ran seventh as the yellow appeared for David Breazeale on lap twenty-seven. While this restart was far less dramatic for Doar, for the second night in a row Payne and McCool found themselves occupying the same real estate, this time Payne ended up facing the wrong direction in turn one. The scuffle resulted in the races final restart, and again Doar didn’t bobble, slipping away from Whitwell and McCool as a pair of Moyer’s contested third. The elder Moyer would take the position from his son completing an impressive run in which he gained seventeen positions. Doar ran the last three circuits unmolested for this third career Wild West Shootout win.

After thanking his crew and sponsors from the winner circle, Doar was sure not to forget the most important person of them all. “My wife just got here today and I guess she’s good luck,” said Doar.

The third round of the Wild West Shootout kicks off this Wednesday night with racing starting at 7pm.

Revised Entry List for the Wild West Shootout, Tucson, AZ

2011-01-06T18:58:00.004-07:00

5th Annual Wild West Shootout
USA Raceway
January 8-16, 2011

Late Models:

1 Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
2 Bobby Hogge Salinas, CA
2 John Anderson Omaha, NE
2 Trevor Glaser Tangent, OR
02 R.C. Whitwell Tucson, AZ
02 Tommy Weder Jr. Woodward, OK
5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
7 Mike Johnson Lompoc, CA
7V David Vennard Edmonton, AB
8 Lonnie Parker Jr El Mirage, AZ
8 John Lowrey Bakersfield, CA
10 Leon Henderson Laurel, MS
10 Mike Balcaen Winnipeg, MB
10N Rob Sanders Bakersfield , CA
11 Jon Kirby Russellville, AR
11M Paul Mueller Bismarck, ND
11 Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
11 Pat Doar New Richmond, Wi
11 John Kaanta Elk Mound, WI
11 Scott Ward Watertown, SD
12S Brad Seng Grand Forks, ND
12A Matt Aukland Fargo, ND
12 Ron Bartels El Segundo, CA
14 Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
14 Brad Looney Republic, MO
14 Jesse Stovall Branson, MO
15 David Turner Adrian, MO
18 Ross Camponovo Clarksdale, MS
18 Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
21JR Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
21 Matt Lux Franklin, PA
22G Paul Guglielmoni Vacaville, CA
23 Brad Williams Tucson, AZ
26 Mark Carrell Redmond, OR
27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
28B Dick Barton Ashville, NY
28L John Lobb Frewsburg, NY
32B Clay Daly Bakersfield, CA
34 Bo Gordon Shaw, MS
35 Art Lacy Casa Grande, AZ
37 Rob Mayea Bend, OR
42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN
44 Eric Mass Rapid City, SD
50 Russ Sell Brownsville, OR
51 Joey Moriarty Glendale, AZ
54 David Breazeale Four Corners, MS
55 Bud Whalberg Horning , Ca
57J Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS
58 Gary Christian Broken Bow, OK
68 Mike Prochnow Menomonie, WI
71 Chris Wall Holden, LA
71 Andrew McKay Edina, MN
74 Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
77 Bill Bartels Marina Del Rey, CA
77x Mike McCaughan St. Francois, Xavier, Canada
88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
90 Lance Matthees Winona, MN
91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
93 Ray Moore Shreveport, LA
95 Dylan Smith Osceola, NE
96 Carla Laney Torrance, CA
97 Dan Henrikson Rapid City, SD
99JR Frank Heckenast, Jr Frankfort, IL

Mods:

O - Jake O'Neal - Tucson, AZ
O - Chris Sims - Las Cruces, NM
Ono - Wayne Devault- Tonopah, AZ
O2 - RC Whitwell - Tucson, AZ
OO2 - Jeff Sires - Tucson, AZ
O2 - Kent Rosevear - Yuma, AZ
O6 - Cody Alvarez - Vail, AZ
O7 - Kelly Boen - Henderson, CO
O7 - Jeff Thomas - Penngrove, CA
1r - Jay Richardson - Spring Valley, WI
1x - Don Earvan - Globe, AZ
1t - Tim Thomas - Fargo, ND
1az - Bob Sanders - Phoenix, AZ
M1 - Mitch Johnson - Hickson, ND
M1 - Shane Sabraski - Rice, MN
M12 - Don Shaw - Ham Lake, MN
1st - Johnny Scott - Las Cruces, NM
1 - Brad Campbell - Tucson, AZ
2s - Stormy Scott - Las Cruces, NM
2 - Bobby Hogge - Salinas, CA
2 - Art Lacy - Coolidge, AZ
2 - Greg Jenkins - Hobbs, NM
2j - Blake Jegtvig - Hawley, MN
3d - Chad Ayers - Tucson, AZ
3j - Josh Cain - Moriarty, NM
3 - Dickie Gorham - Las Cruces, NM
G3 - Travis Hooper - Tucson, AZ
4tw - Tim Ward - Mesa, AZ
5e - Shane Edginton - East St Paul, Manitoba, Canada
6 - Dane Jorgenson - Tucson, AZ
6t - Corky Thomas - Fargo, ND
7 - Marlyn Seidler - Underwood, ND
9 - Jimmy Ray - Las Cruces, NM
10 - Austin Arneson - Fargo, ND
10 - Joe Lackey - Las Cruces, NM
10s - Rick Spencer - Tucson, AZ
10eh - Ed Turnbull - Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
10 - Aaron Turnbull - Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
11 - Rich Schumate - Chandler, AZ
12 - Joe Carr - Petaluma, CA
g17 - Fito Gallardo - Las Cruces, NM
j17 - Jacob Gallardo - Las Cruces, NM
18 - Terry Belcher Jr. - Phoenix, AZ
18 - Chase Junghans - Manhatten, KS
19b - Jake Bitker - Fargo, ND
19sb - Lance Mari - El Centro, CA
19e- Alex Engelstad - Beltrami, MN
19s - Cody Skytland - Edmore, ND
20 - Mark Harrison - Coolidge, AZ
20rt - Ricky Thornton Jr. - CHandler, AZ
21t - Wade Simmons - Tucson, AZ
21g - Brian Graf - Apache Junction, AZ
23 - Terry Haven - Aberdeen, SD
23j - Greg Jelivk - Tucson, AZ
29 - Mercedes Harris - Demung, NM
30 - Shayne Laske - Moorhead, MN
33 - David Karst - Casper, WY
34h - Roy Herron - Phoenix, AZ
37 - Scott Ward - Watertown, SD
40f - Dana Fite - Tucson, AZ
42 - Ritchie Mann - Roche Percee, Saskatchewan, Canada
42 - Troy Cooke - Show Low, AZ
43 - Curt Barnett - El Paso, TX
44 - Christy Georges - El Paso, TX
44 - Jason Noll - El Mirage, AZ
44 - Darrell Nelson - Hermantown, MN
44 - Rick Butler - Chandler, AZ
50 - Robert Adams - Tucson, AZ
55 - Mike Brandon - Tucson, AZ
55 -Bud Walberg- Horning , Ca
66 - Rick Wood - Tucson, AZ
69m - Mike Villanueva - Merced, CA
70 - Tim Mecl - Queen Creek, AZ
71 - Philip Houston - Odessa, TX
71 - Paul Banghart - Tucson, AZ
74 - Carl Trimmer - Tucson, AZ
78dw - Darren Williams - Salsbury, NC
78 - Kevin Nichols - Bakersfield, CA
82 - Sherman Barnett - El Paso, TX
83 - Kellen Chadwick - Oakley, CA
84 - Troy Hoey - Tucson, AZ
e85 - Jason Strand - Portland, ND
88c - Brian Clark - Tucson, AZ
88n - Nick O'Neal - Tucson, AZ
88 - Chris Olexowicz - Gilbert, AZ
95 - Dylan Smith - Osceola, NE
96 - Dennis Haven - Aberdeen, SD
96 - John Cox - Phoenix, AZ
97 - Ron Schreiner - Hudson, WI
97m - David Murray Jr. - Oberlin, KS
98 - Alex Stanford - Chowchilla, CA
99 - Jason Grimes - Jamestown, ND
99 - Terry Tipton - Duncan, AZ
99- Corey Hosler - Globe, AZ
99 - Cale Arneson - Fargo, ND
111 - Bumper Jones - Mesilla Park, NM
121 - Holly Jones - Las Cruces, NM
131 - Royal Jones - Las Cruces, NM
777 - Bo Hatfield - Goodyear, AZ
999 - James Flemming - Silver City, NM

In the Garage with Marsha and Gorman James

2011-01-06T04:30:00.003-07:00

Marsha James is unusually subdued tonight. It could be that she’s just a little tired; after all, the 16-year-old is going to school, working part-time at a pizza place, wrestling, playing flute in the school band, and spending hours in the garage working on her racecar.

Or, perhaps, more likely, it could be that she’s still mourning the loss of a good friend. Samantha Gaunt, 17, was killed in a single-car accident a day ago. Marsha was close to Sammi Jo, and she’s taking the loss hard.
“But now I have to be strong for her,” says Marsha.

Even worse, this is her fourth friend to be killed in an automobile crash in just over six months. Abelina Gallegos, 16, Jessica Dunovsky, 18 and Lacey Dunovsky, 16, all died when their Jeep rolled over on a County Road.

“They actually passed away on my birthday,” July 29, she says. “I just got my drivers license when I heard.”

She shakes her head. “It’s tough, very tough. You just gotta keep going.”

So Marsha can be forgiven for being a bit less bubbly than usual as she looks over her car. Many high school students experience the loss of one friend to an accident, and that is bad enough, but to lose four is more than anyone should have to endure.

Marsha sands on the 53 car.

While it’s something of a cliché, she’s been taking her mind off the deaths by working on her racecar, the #53 Hornet, with her father, Gorman James. The pair has been putting their efforts into mostly-cosmetic body repairs; the engine is fairly stout as-is. The Mitsubishi just happens to be the same age as Marsha herself, 16 years old.

“I do wish it was faster, but it is so old,” she says, then stops to reconsider. “Really, I wouldn’t change anything—its perfect for a beginner.”

I ask why she says that, going into her third year of racing.

“I still believe I’m a beginner. I have a lot to learn,” she says, displaying an uncommon level of modesty for a racecar driver. She realizes her limitations, especially since she started in this series, and has never raced anything else.

The car is not really perfect, of course. Even she will admit it has a problem—which she attributes to the in-car engine computer—with consistency.

“One night it runs good, then the next its like stepping on the brake,” says Gorman. “We gotta get a new computer in there.” It’s pricey, but if she’s going to be competitive, they’ll have to bite the bullet and buy one.

Tonight, though, they’re sanding body panels. The #53 was pretty well beaten-up at the end of the last season of racing. As they sand, they talk about the upcoming season.

Gorman kicks up dust.

“Her goal this year,” says Gorman, “is to win a championship.”

Can she?

“I can do it,” Marsha says with confidence.

One bright spot at I-25 Speedway, as far as Gorman is concerned, is the addition of Sledge Larson running tech inspection.

“You know, he needs to get the spec sheets from the manufacturer, and stick to those,” he says. “Then we won’t have a motor out of a Mini-Stock in a Hornet, so it can start dead last and pass the field.”

He grabs a wad of chew from a can and muses, “Hopefully, it’ll be fair this year.”

“He’s definitely tough.”

Gorman is also pleased with the decision to scale Hornets on the four-pads instead of the plate in 2011, which he claims gave wildly different readings, depending on the day and time the car was weighed.

As for the rest of the field, Marsha expects it to be “very competitive. We have a lot of good drivers coming back.”

One of her goals for 2011 concerns Gorman.

Gorman at the fence in 2010.

“I need to break him of standing at the fence,” she says. “I mostly just block it out. I can see him coming out of turn 2.” She laughs. “I’m like, ‘What?’ most of the time.” Gorman, like a lot of other “helpful” parents, uses all sorts of obscure hand signals to tell their drivers what to do on the track.

He may spend less time doing that, anyway: Gorman plans to run a Mini-Stock at I-25 Speedway this year, after several years away.

And in 2012, Marsha expects to be in a Mini-Stock of her own.

Possible/Probable Entry List for Wild West Shootout, Tucson AZ

2011-01-02T17:32:00.001-07:00

This list is by no means comprehensive nor is it official. The info is from the message boards at LateModelRacer.com

Note that only two Colorado drivers are listed, although there are drivers from around the country likely to be in attendance and some big names regionally.
Our coverage begins January 12th. Don't miss it!

Late Models:

1 Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
2 Bobby Hogge Salinas, CA
2 John Anderson Omaha, NE
2 Trevor Glaser Tangent, OR
02 R.C. Whitwell Tucson, AZ
02 Tommy Weder Jr. Woodward, OK
5K Mike Kirby Torrance, CA
5M Jon Mitchell Texarkana, TX
7 Mike Johnson Lompoc, CA
7V David Vennard Edmonton, AB
8 Lonnie Parker Jr El Mirage, AZ
10 Leon Henderson Laurel, MS
10 Mike Balcaen Winnipeg, MB
11 Jon Kirby Russellville, AR
11M Paul Mueller Bismarck, ND
11 Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
11 Pat Doar New Richmond, Wi
11 Scott Ward Watertown, SD
12S Brad Seng Grand Forks, ND
12A Matt Aukland Fargo, ND
12 Ron Bartels El Segundo, CA
14 Brad Looney Republic, MO
14 Jesse Stovall Branson, MO
14M Dean Moore Grand Junction, CO
15 David Turner Adrian, MO
18 Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
18 Ross Camponovo Clarksdale, MS
21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
21JR Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
21 Matt Lux Franklin, PA
23 Brad Williams Tucson, AZ
26 Mark Carrell Redmond, OR
27 Nick Bartels El Segundo, CA
28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
28B Dick Barton Ashville, NY
28L John Lobb Frewsburg, NY
32B Clay Daly Bakersfield, CA
33 Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
34 Bo Gordon Shaw, MS
35 Art Lacy Casa Grande, AZ
37 Rob Mayea Bend, OR
42 Don Shaw Ham Lake, MN
44 Eric Mass Rapid City, SD
50 Russ Sell Brownsville, OR
51 Joey Moriarty Glendale, AZ
54 David Breazeale Four Corners, MS
57J Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS
58 Gary Christian Broken Bow, OK
68 Mike Prochnow Menomonie, WI
71 Chris Wall Holden, LA
71 Andrew McKay Edina, MN
74 Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
77 Bill Bartels Marina Del Rey, CA
88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
90 Lance Matthees Winona, MN
91P Jason Papich Santa Maria, CA
91T Tony Toste Pismo Beach, CA
93 Ray Moore Shreveport, LA
97 Dan Henrikson Rapid City, SD
99 Clay Fisher Dewitt, AR

Modifieds:

1r - Jay Richardson - Spring Valley, WI
2j - Blake Jegtvig - Hawley, MN
5e - Shane Edginton - East St Paul, MB
7a- Shane Sabraski - Rice, MN
10 - Austin Arneson - Fargo, ND
19b - Jake Bitker - Fargo, ND
19e- Alex Engelstad - Beltrami, MN
19s - Cody Skytland - Edmore, ND
23 - Terry Haven - Aberdeen, SD
37 - Scott Ward - Watertown, SD
44 - Darrell Nelson - Hermantown, MN
e85 - Jason Strand - Portland, ND
96 - Dennis Haven - Aberdeen, SD
97 - Ron Schreiner - Hudson, WI
99 - Jason Grimes - Jamestown, ND
99 - Cale Arneson - Fargo, ND

Kelly Boen- Henderson, CO
Mitch Johnson- Hickson, ND
Don Shaw - Ham Lake, MN

In Praise of the Saturday Night Racer

2011-01-02T08:26:00.004-07:00

Racing is a sport like no other. It asks more from those who race than damn near any other sport around. From the financial commitment, usually a figure that hovers in the tens of thousands in a season; to the time it takes to build and then repair a racecar each week; to the time it takes to attend all-day weekend races, many of which are out of town and require a very long drive on a Friday night only to return home before work on Monday, racing is a lot like the old Garth Brooks song, Rodeo:

Broken bones, indeed.

It'll drive a cowboy crazy
It'll drive the man insane
And he'll sell off everything he owns
Just to pay to play the game
And a broken home and some broken bones
Is all he'll have to show
For all the years that he spent chasin'
This dream they call rodeo.

Substitute “driver” for “cowboy” and “racing” for “rodeo,” and you have a pretty good idea of what most race drivers experience.

We’re not talking about the NASCAR guys here. Those racers, while they may have spent time at their local tracks, live a life that bears little resemblance to the average Saturday-night short-track racer. Their motorhomes, jets, helicopters, and massive paychecks are nothing more than a distant dream for the millions of weekend racers around the USA.

Ouch! This will cost 'em.

No, this is a sport of passion for them. It has to be. Your average guy in a softball league or bowling league has no idea what level of commitment it takes to be a racer. When a racecar is turned into bent metal on wheels, the driver has a lot of work to do just to get on the track next weekend; the softball player might break a bat.

But the sacrifices don’t stop them from showing up week after week. Some have nominal sponsors and may get new tires from time to time. Others may get a few replacement parts from theirs. Some get very little help of any kind. They still do what it takes.

And the winnings? If you win a race and make enough to pay for the gas to travel to and from the track, you are very fortunate. The big money events (“$10,000 to Win!”) are few and far between, and when they are held, the fields are packed, often, ironically, with drivers who already have solid financial backing.

Dan Alamaa raced a Late Model in 2010. When the Colorado Springs-based driver raced at Colorado National Speedway just north of Denver, he said, “We’ve probably spent over a thousand dollars just to get here today. So it don’t pay. But it sure is fun.”

And that is why the weekend warriors go out to the garage and get their car ready anyway. Racing can bring a family closer together—kids, both boys and girls, get into the sport after watching Dad and Grampa race. The whole family works on the cars and then goes to the track as a team.

Lots of help when things go wrong.

Lifelong friendships are formed at the track and in the garage. Despite the fierce competition on the racing surface, in the pits, everyone pitches in to make sure other racers can compete. If they need a part or even a repair, other drivers and crews step in.
The attitude is clear: I want to beat you on the track, not by default.

I recently talked to driver Kyle Rayburn and his father, Wayne, about their upcoming trip to the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. A massive indoor race in Tulsa, with nearly 300 entrants and a week of competition, it is at least as much a spectacle as a race.

The father-and-son team was excited about running there, but had the typical mixed emotions you find among non-professional racers, especially at this event, where they are pitted against several well-funded professional drivers.

“You don’t really go there to win. You can’t compete with the money,” said Wayne.

But Kyle still holds out hope: “You want to show them you can beat them,” he says, “and you can. Something will go wrong for them or right for you.”

Ultimately, though, they go to Tulsa year after year because, as Kyle said, “It’s about the funnest race we go to,” not because they expect to be at the top of the heap after a week of racing.

Female drivers are welcome in this sport. While they are something of a novelty in the ranks of professional drivers, they are common in weekend local short-track racing.

They have various goals. Some are like Shelby Cortese, who does this because she loves racing. A 17-year-old honor student who knows she’ll never drive a racecar for a living, she is as fierce a competitor as you’re likely to meet when it comes to racing. Shelby battles perception as well—she’s a cheerleader, too, and sometimes has to face the attitude that she’s not a “serious” racer. A weekend of watching her at the track will put that question to rest, though, and this season she moves up from the Hornet series (four-cylinder, small cars) to the Street Stock series, just like her father.

Then there’s Mindy McCord, from Montana. Although the Big Sky State is a long way from the hotbed of racing that’s the south, this 17-year-old is focused on the NASCAR developmental program and runs in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series. Mindy plans to spend weekends 2011 in California classroom and hands-on training for the big leagues. She’s spending the off-season working on her car, rebuilding it from the frame up.

Mindy knows it is important to
keep the fans happy.

Will she make it? Hard to say. She definitely has the will to win and the equipment to back it up… but then, so do thousands of others her age.

But most racers you’ll meet at the track on a weekend have no such dreams. They are happy to pit their skills—and their cars—against their friends’. They don’t do it for money or even for recognition, really.

They race because they love it and can’t imagine doing anything else.

"Just You and the Car:" Kyle Rayburn Races the Chili Bowl

2010-12-18T19:23:00.003-07:00

If the stars of “American Chopper”—Paul Teutul, Senior and Paul Teutul, Junior—got along, they would be Wayne and Kyle Rayburn. For 20 years now, Kyle’s been racing in some kind of car, and his father, Wayne, has been there to back him up. They have a great rapport, much like old friends, where one starts a thought and the other finishes it.

They work out of Wayne’s tidy garage in Pueblo West, a well-equipped shop with shelves full of dozens of mementos from Kyle’s racing career, mostly large trophies.

Those are just a few of
Kyle's trophies behind him.

Today, they’re getting his #99 Midget ready to run at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa next month. Kyle’s been running there since 2003, and has met with some success on the ¼-mile indoor dirt track.

The pair goes to the Chili Bowl this year with a mix of hopefulness and realism, emotions familiar to a lot of race drivers. They know, with over 250 cars competing, some driven by big money names like NASCAR’s Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, and World of Outlaws champ Sammy Swindell, their chances of winning the Saturday Main are fairly slim.

“They come with haulers full of five cars,” marvels Kyle.

“You don’t really go there to win. You can’t compete with the money,” adds Wayne.

But that doesn’t keep them from making the drive, nor from having a feeling of optimism about the weeklong event.

Kyle says it’s a fun experience to race against those professionals. “You want to show them you can beat them,” he says, “and you can. Something will go wrong for them or right for you” and you come out ahead when the checkers fly.

“It’s about the funnest race we go to,” he says. It’s the huge car count, the packed pits, the unique indoor venue—those all add up to an event unlike any other.

So what are their chances? “The car’s the best it’s ever been,” says Kyle, and he’s primed and ready to go. You sense that he truly believes he can win the whole thing. Maybe he can.

When Kyle was six years old, Wayne decided he wanted to be involved in a sport with his son.

“I thought, ‘I want to do a sport where I can participate,’” Wayne says. “Stick-and-ball sports, you just watch.” So, with absolutely no racing background at all, they chose racing, putting Kyle into Quarter-Midgets.

Getting into his sport from scratch can be daunting, but Wayne didn’t let their lack of experience hold them back.

“I got a lot of help from the guys we raced with,” muses Wayne. “They’re great—they’ll come and help you.”

When he became too old for the Quarter-Midget class, Kyle began running Midgets and, later, Sprints.

He’s done well: In 2002, his first year in Midgets, Kyle won Rookie of the Year, despite missing the first half of the season. “That’s one of my biggest successes,” Kyle says. With that award in hand, he went to the Chili Bowl and, with only six races under his belt, stood up to the tough competition.

“I knew he was good enough to go down there,” says Wayne, and he was right: that first year, Kyle made the C-Main, which isn’t bad in an event with over 250 entrants and an alphabet full of Qualifying and Heat races.

Kyle, who competes in the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association, got his first Midget feature win 2006 on the pavement at Big Country Speedway.

Money, as always, is a major concern. Like most racers, Kyle and Wayne have no hope of making back anything close to what they spend on racing.

“When we originally bought [this car], it was $32,000,” says Wayne. “With engine work, parts we bought, you can add at least another $20,000.” A Denver company just refreshed the engine, and that cost about $4,500. “That’s all come out of my hip pocket,” Wayne says.

“But it’s my hobby, too,” Wayne says, “and I’d much rather be doing this than fishing.”

They never make a profit at a race, even if they win. Most purses will pay their pit fees, if that, Wayne says.

Sponsorship, which helps some other drivers manage the expenses, is problematic, especially for a touring series like the RMMRA, which doesn’t race near Pueblo.

“If a local company sponsors us, at best, we have a couple of races in the area. But it’s hard to get someone to buy advertising for a window company here when we’re racing the next week in Nebraska,” says Kyle.

Kyle has a full-time job; Wayne is in his fourth year of retirement now.

They share a close bond, thanks to their racing hobby. “I enjoy spending every weekend with my Dad,” Kyle says.

“We get along good until he wrecks,” says Wayne, with a smile.

This is a year-round hobby. For example, the pair will put in about a month’s worth of work on the 99 car for the Chili Bowl, then get back, tear it down, and get ready for the
regular RMMRA season.

They have a Tuesday and Thursday schedule for working on the car, then load it and the tools into the trailer on Fridays.

“You have to get all the fittings cleaned out,” says Kyle, and then there’s set up.

He’s lucky to have his father’s services; as a retiree, Wayne’s in the garage “all day, every day.” Like a lot of people his in position, he wonders how he got it all done those years while he working a full-time job. “I’ve asked myself that many times,” he laughs.

They are the only crew; the chassis-builder comes along to the track to help out on most weekends. But, then, that’s about all they need. “There aren’t pit stops, if you get a flat tire, you can’t change it. Your night is done if something serious happens, so you don’t really need a huge crew,” Kyle points out.

Still, they have the equipment and ability to re-build the car from scratch in the field if necessary.

This is a pure kind of racing: no radios, no mirrors. That is what Kyle appreciates the most about racing Midgets.” It’s all driver feel,” says Kyle. “That’s one of the best things about it. There’s no radios, no spotters, it’s just you and the car.”

Reprieve: Mods Ride Again at CNS; Buses Take the Hit

2010-12-16T11:35:00.005-07:00

DACONO, Colo-- As he hinted Wednesday, Colorado National Speedway Track Operations Manager Scott Backman has come up with a plan to continue running Grand American Modified racing, despite low car counts.

For the 2011 season, the track will combine the GAM cars with the also-struggling Modified Coupes series. The decision will help both divisions re-build, he said, and should they get cars counts up to strong levels again, the two could be split back into individual divisions again. They will run about 12 races, says Backman, although the schedule has yet to be finalized. Each division will run their own rules, and be awarded separate points. He called the plan a last-ditch effort to save both classes.

Backman says the transition should be fairly easy, with just a few minor rules changes.

In a statement, track management also said, "In addition, we have unfortunately also found it necessary to drop the Bus class from the 2011 schedule. As a result of these changes, the Figure 8’s will replace the GAM’s as our 5th NASCAR Weekly Series Division, receiving all of the recognition and awards that come with being a sanctioned class."

Colorado National Speedway cuts Grand American Modified racing for 2011

2010-12-15T13:38:00.003-07:00

DACONO, Colo- Citing a “steady decline” in car counts, Scott Backman, Track Operations Manager at Colorado National Speedway, notified racers Tuesday that CNS would not host any Grand American Modified series races in 2011.

“Our average car count was about 12 last year,” Backman said. “Some weren’t coming back next year.”

Backman said that, when he took over the job three years ago, there were “seven or eight” Modifieds competing at CNS. He met with drivers to develop new rules, and that brought up the car count, but it didn’t last.

“Too many divisions weakens all of them,” he said. “You have to draw the line and make a business decision for the track.”

Backman said he called all the registered Modified drivers and told them about the decision personally. Most, he said, understood what he called the “reality” of the situation.

Some were angry, of course, and the message board at bigwestracing.com is full of unhappy comments. Several posters complained that they were bringing new cars to the track this year. Backman disputes that. “These same guys have been telling me they're building their cars since 2002,” he said. “I never see them at the track.”

“Another poster said something to the effect of, ‘I guess if your division doesn’t make CNS money, then your division won’t race there’—and that’s true,” Backman said. “The track is a business, and if it doesn’t make money, it goes away.”

He said that when a division is cut from the program, it "gives all the other divisions more races.” That’s important he added, because when weather forces cancellation of races, the other series don’t get enough in, so more room on the schedule could help fix that issue.

Since 2004, Colorado National has been adding divisions, which, Backman claims, hasn't been entirely positive. With that in mind, he said, at least one more division, which he declined to specify, could be cut this year. Another could be on the chopping block for 2012.

On the other hand, “We have some cool things coming [in 2011].,” he said, like big-purse late model racing, and another NASCAR-sanctioned event.

“This is a positive thing,” he said. “We [the owners and Backman] are going to do what we need to put on a good show, to make this track stay successful in the future.”

[Editor's Note: Backman told me he might have found a way to make Grand American Modified racing happen in 2011 after all. He said he would contact me if and when that decision was announced. I'll update the story when I hear from him.]

DENIED! Chili Bowl says "No" to Turn 3!

2010-12-14T18:34:00.004-07:00

You want to know how this works? Okay. I request a “media credential” (press pass) to go cover a race (or races). Normally, this is no big deal. The track approves, and off I go.

But when it came time to make the request from the Chili Bowl, I found no info on media at all on their website. So, back in November, I sent a snail-mail letter off to Tulsa.
Two weeks ago, I called to check on the status of the request. A woman with a lovely southern accent said, “Oh, hon, we haven’t even looked at those yet. We just got back. (From where, I don’t know.) Give us a week or so.”

I did, and got the same kind of response. So I waited some more.

On Monday, I finally called and said, “Look, I need to make travel plans.” The woman saw my point, and went looking for the letter. She finally said she couldn’t find it, and asked me to fax it again. I did, on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday afternoon, I got a call. “We’re full. We have a lot of returning media, so we don’t have any room for you.”

Well. Isn’t that nice. I don’t know if the fact they lost the request was the reason why I didn’t make the cut, or if they just don’t allow new reporters to join in the fun.

I’d figure after 25 years of doing this, though, the Chili Bowl staff would have worked out the details somewhat better. Who in the world turns down requests for media to come cover an event because they’re “full?” That's a new one to me after 26 years in the biz.

But I had a Plan B. I’ll be heading down to Tucson, Arizona’s USA Raceway to cover the
5th Annual Wild West Shootout. It takes place the same week, so I’ll be there January 14, 15 , and 16. Over 100 drivers in Super Late Models and Modifieds run on a 3/8-mile clay oval, with more than $150,000 in prize money at stake. A $10,000 top prize is awarded in the final race, The Bill Cheesebourg Memorial, on January 16.

And, yes, I’ll still be profiling Kyle Rayburn and letting you know how his time at the Chili Bowl goes.

That’ll be this Sunday. If things shake out just right, I may have another off-season car-building profile on Monday.

"Hard-Core" Winter Series Racing at SLV Motorplex

2010-12-12T06:10:00.015-07:00

MOSCA, Colo.—It’s cold here. Cold and very windy, which makes it feel even colder. I am wearing several layers, including a heavy coat and gloves, which, to me, seems strange at a racetrack. Although the sky is clear and the sun is shining, winds are blowing from the north at 20 mph, gusting to 30. This is why the racers and crew are gathered in the lee of the pit shack at San Luis Valley Motorplex.

Today is slated to be the third event in the track’s Winter Series of racing, which is held one weekend a month. Every class can complete, but track owner Joe Carr knows the only drivers that will show are those who run Dwarf cars. This is the biggest class at the track during the usual Summer race dates, and a smaller group is expected to show today.

Carr will barely break even on today’s event, but he runs it because he wants to support the guys who race all year. He’s re-building the track’s reputation these days: back in 2007 and 2008, the facility was the property of absentee owners who live in Las Vegas. They held a full 2007 season, then abruptly shut the track down right before the July 4 race in 2008. There are all sorts of stories about how they backed out on various financial commitments, but the bottom line is, Joe Carr and his wife, Beth, are trying to show the business community, and race fans, that the track is back.

The SLV Motorplex is a very nice facility. It is a 3/8th-mile dirt track, with lots of bleacher seating, both on the frontstretch and on turn 1 (“Best seats in the house,” says Beth). The concession area is completely enclosed in a building, and has tables and chairs; the bar and a souvenir shop and are inside, too. The pit area is massive, although it is all gravel.

In short, Carr has all he needs to make the place a success. It is north of the town of Alamosa, and still surrounded by farmland, which is a plus as many racetracks find themselves increasingly surrounded by unfriendly neighbors.

Carr has already improved the racing surface itself. When he took over, the track was “a paperclip,” he says, with long, narrow straightaways connected by sharp, flat turns. He’s widened the track to approximate a D-oval and banked the turns.

Maintaining a dirt track is tougher than an asphalt surface. It’s an effort “keeping fresh clay on it, keeping it fed with compost and gypsum,” Carr says. “The sun here in Colorado eats up all the organic nutrients.”

“I’m going to plow the track as soon as the Winter Series races are done, break it all up, add gypsum, compost it, and spread it.”

He would wet the track down for today’s race, but it is cold enough that it could freeze, which would be disastrous. As a result, the surface, which is well-rubbered-in from the last races, is also very dry and dusty.

Back over at the pit shack, Beth and daughter Alex have set up a small-scale concession operation, with Alex flipping burgers and hot dogs, and Beth trying to get the pickles to defrost, one of the hazards of Winter Series racing.

Carlisle unloads his car. Note the parka and knit cap.

About 12:30pm, the drivers start trickling in. Among them is Greg Carlisle, driver of the #39, who travels here from Cimarron, New Mexico. He looks around and grimaces against the wind, saying, “You gotta be hard-core to do this.”

He’s a classic dirt-racer. “I don’t care for asphalt. I like dirt,” he says. “You drive a loose car on dirt. If you get to the point where you lose traction and it slides on asphalt, you can’t always gather the car back up that quick.” He smiles. “On dirt, you slow down, you get your grip back.”

Dwarf cars, for those unfamiliar, were the original predecessors to the wildly popular Legends cars. Like Legends cars, they are scaled-down versions of classic cars from the 1930s and 40s. Well-known former NASCAR promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler and retired driver Donnie Allison borrowed the concept from the Dwarf Car Company of Phoenix, AZ, creating Legends Racing as a “spec” series and developing one company to supply all the components and even complete cars, from US Legend Cars International.

In contrast, Dwarf cars do not have a spec engine, and many, like Carlisle’s, have a higher-performance motor, making up to 60 hp more than the spec engine found in Legends cars. Dwarf cars also may have various kinds of suspension components. Legends cars have fenders, while Dwarf cars do not. There are also multiple suppliers of chassis.

Ultimately, just six cars show up, fewer in than past months. This does not deter the drivers, however, who are still up for a race. The lineup for the first race, an eight-lap Heat, is set by pill draw. On the pole is the 31, driven by Dave Siembida, and in turn one of the first lap, he spins. The other five cars scramble to avoid him, but Carlisle’s 39 and the 72 of Matt Rattzlaff collide in turn 2 and the two cars lock together.

Once the track crew separates the two cars and get the 31 re-started—he’s destroyed his mechanical starter, a common problem when these cars roll backwards with the clutch still engaged—the race continues.

Eight laps go by quickly, and so does the 88 of Ren Johnson. He moves from the back of the pack to the front in just seven laps, dominating the field. As he takes the checkers, the 31 hits the #63 of Robert Erricson, spinning both.

Cars kick up dust.

Afterwards, several drivers comment on the lack of visibility created by the dry track and strong winds. The huge cloud of dust raised makes it tough to see, but they agree that the problem isn’t severe enough to cancel the 20-lap Main.

Lots of help to fix the 31 car.

Turns out, that last-lap wreck might not have been Siembida’s fault: the first-lap incident seems to have loosened the suspension on his car, which may have made it unstable. The other drivers gather around to examine the problem and fix it. Noting that no one is carrying a full tool set, they nevertheless find the appropriate wrenches to re-set the car and get it
back on the track for the Main.

An invert of the heat sets the field for the main, with Erricson on the pole and Ren Johnson in the back again.

As soon as the green flag flies, the 88 starts another steady march to the front. He’s given a gift a couple of laps into the race when the 39 of Carlisle goes wide in turn 2, nearly hitting the wall, and Ren Johnson powers past him to take second. A lap later, he takes the lead, with Scott Johnson in the 68 coming along with him.

They’ll finish in that same order, holding their positions for ten laps, with the 88 taking the checkers as well as the small purse.

By 4pm, it's over. Time to get out of the relentless wind and head home after a quick day of racing that should hold over hard-core competitors for another month.

Here Comes the Chili Bowl!

2010-12-09T19:04:00.003-07:00

We’re about a month away from the 25th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, Tulsa’s premiere dirt track racing event. The clock is counting down on race pre-registration, and there are some notables in the field among the 143 racers entered from 22 states (and New Zealand).

Colorado’s entrants (so far) include Levi Roberts from Broomfield; Scott Fennell of Littleton; and Pueblo’s Kyle Rayburn.

We’ll be profiling Rayburn’s preparations for the trip and the hard indoor racing in about two weeks.

Defending Chili Bowl champ Kevin Swindell and his father, five-time event winner (and three-time World of Outlaws champion), Sammy Swindell are already entered. NASCAR drivers J.J. Yeley, Bryan Clauson and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. will also be there, as will a host of dirt-track racing specialists.

Last year, there were 256 entrants, so there will likely be more names we’ve heard before on the list by January 10.

The Chili Bowl is a massive week-long event, held on a quarter-mile clay oval. The long entry list is whittled down to 24 cars for the 50-lap A-Main on Saturday by multiple preliminary races (K-Mains, anyone?).

Monday the 10th is a practice day. Tuesday begins four days of qualifying. Tuesday also includes the Race of Champions, showcasing past event winners and other top contenders in a special feature race.

The top three finishers from each night’s qualifying features run Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Chili Bowl championship. Other Saturday night events are lined up by qualifying night finishes.

Mike Lippincott Leaves I-25 Speedway

2010-11-29T12:40:00.014-07:00

“I’m not angry. I made the decision not to go back,” says Mike Lippincott. The one-time Track Operations Manager at I-25 Speedway is clearly conflicted about his decision to “take a year off” from working the track.

But after a tumultuous off-season, marked by various meetings with track co-owner Perry White, Lippincott says he can’t do the job well, given the constraints offered by White.

Perry White, naturally, sees things from another viewpoint.

It all comes down to a fundamental difference in management styles, Lippincott says.

“Our first [post-season] meeting with Perry, Aaron [Ford, the 2010 Pit Steward] and I go up to Castle Rock, and the first thing Perry says is, ‘I don’t want to talk about 2011,’” Lippincott recounts. That’s the only thing the pair wanted to discuss. Last year, they were brought in fairly late, mid-November, and they worked harder than necessary—it is supposed to be a second, part-time job, after all—getting ready for the 2010 season as a result, keeping up the pace right up to opening day.

“Operating this track isn’t seasonal,” he says. “You have to work at it all year.”

But White kept putting them off, and when it came time to discuss salary, he wouldn’t do that, either. At one meeting, “I wrote a number down,” he recalls. “Perry wouldn’t even look at it. When I told him, ‘You’d better look at that paper,” he did, and he laughed. ‘I’m never going to give you that,’ he said.” Lippincott told him that it was a starting figure and that they could negotiate, but White never would.

Lippincott says an informal survey of people with comparable jobs show they are consistently paid more than White was willing to pay. White, on the other hand, told him he was already overpaid, according to Lippincott.

White did not want to discuss pay with me either, except to say that he didn’t believe it was a significant factor in Lippincott’s decision.

Ford had the same problem, but when he ran into White’s unwillingness to discuss salary, he took a different tack: he quit his track job to devote full time to earning a Master’s degree. (White says he’s definitely welcome back next year.)

Meanwhile, White cut loose Tech Inspector Eric Crist.

“So now, [White] doesn’t want to talk about 2011, but he’s got two openings,” says Lippincott. Then, to his dismay, he learned that White had quickly (and unilaterally) filled both: Crist’s with Jeff “Sledge” Larson, and Ford’s with Dal Sparks.

“I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t ask me who I thought should be in those positions,” Lippincott says. “I have to work with them, to manage them. If I don’t think they’re a good fit, then that’s a problem.”

He says White’s response was that, as a business owner, he had to make decisions and that Lippincott couldn’t understand because he didn’t have money invested in the business, a sentiment he echoed in an interview.

“I just went ahead and made the call. I am the boss, and the boss has the right to make any decisions. Mike’s been in that position for a year; I’ve been in it for nine years,” says White. “I am not always going to get input from employees.”

“I own the joint. The bottom line falls with me,” he added

“Filling those jobs with those people seems like desperation,” Lippincott says, as if White looked around and grabbed the first people he saw.

Larson as Tech Inspector? “I know we had trouble in tech last season,” he says. “It was a sore spot for us. But we were going to fix it for next year. And Sledge has a conflict of interest.” He has two sons who run at I-25 Speedway. If Sledge were to recuse himself from inspecting their cars (which he couldn’t realistically do anyway, since there’d be no one else to do it) what would happen when he inspects a car running against his kid’s and DQs it? There would be questions about whether he was showing favoritism.

“I like Sledge. I’ve known him for 15 years. But this just isn’t fair,’ says Lippincott.

White believes he can balance the job and any concerns about partisanship. “It's a great move,” he says of the decision to add Larson, who he says will become a great asset to the operation. “He brings a lot of knowledge and experience to tech. He’ll also bring car counts up, because of his connections in racing.”

Lippincott’s equally concerned about Sparks. “I raced here when he ran the pit shack [in years past], so I’ve seen him do the job. He can do the basics,” says Lippincott, but “he’s no Aaron Ford. Aaron’s a problem solver.” He says Sparks will likely end up referring most major issues directly to White.

Sparks “can work any position,” says White, noting that he was the track operator for “about ten years. He knows what he’s doing.”

But more important than the people White chose for individual jobs, in Lippincott’s mind, is White’s lack of trust. If White doesn’t believe he can rely on the man he chose as Track Operations Manager to make solid decisions, then “why would I want the job?”

“It’s got nothing to do with Mike,” counters White. “He’s done a phenomenal job for us. But those people who don’t have their money in the game will look at making decisions differently than those of us who do.”

White told him if he didn’t like how the track was run, he could buy it himself. Lippincott did indeed try to buy I-25 Speedway—he even got investors ready to fund the project—but the asking price was, he says, unrealistically high. His investors wouldn’t have seen a return for nearly a decade at the price he was quoted. “I don’t think they [Perry White and his brother Randal] really want to sell it,” he says.

Despite their disagreements, Lippincott says he remains friends with Perry White, at least when they’re away from the track. And he loves I-25 Speedway; he has a long history of both competing and working here. He’s seen the improvements the White brothers have made at the facility. “I applaud them for what they’ve done with the place since they bought it,” he says.

White says he’d be pleased to bring Lippincott back next year, especially since Mike’s plans include enrolling in a sports management degree program, where he will major in motorsports.

Lippincott’s last act of the year was to set up the 2010 season banquet. This he did, quietly leaving, before the guests arrived.

“I love that racetrack. It’s killing me knowing I won’t be going back,” he says, ruefully.

But a man has to have limits, and Mike Lippincott knows his.

He might return in 2012, if he and White can work out their differences.

Ultimately, though, ”I want to own a racetrack. Doesn’t matter if it’s I-25 Speedway or a dirt track in Alabama. That’s my goal.”

"A Race in a Box"

2010-10-10T09:44:00.012-06:00

To my mind, very few things are as sad as a race track that no longer sees races. Maybe you feel the same. Think about how you felt during the early part of this decade when you saw photos of the deteriorating North Wilkesboro Speedway, or even Rockingham before its current renaissance.

Pikes Peak International Raceway could have ended up as a relic, or, worse, plowed under. After all, once International Speedway Corporation bought the track, then shut it down in 2005 to eliminate competition for a planned Denver NASCAR facility, the future was not terribly bright for the facility.

PPIR today sits mostly empty

For three years, PPIR sat and waited. Eventually, rather than raze it, ISC sold the track to local investors, with the proviso that they could never hold a NASCAR-sanctioned racing event--again, with an eye toward keeping NASCAR viable for Denver.

Since then, the track has focused on what’s known as “participant-based” motorsports like the Richard Petty Driving Experience (and some facility rentals to NASCAR teams, like Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, for testing). The track’s 40,000 seats have been pared down to 10,000. Organizations can now rent the place.

One father-and-son operation is leading the effort to keep racing at PPIR. Larry Griffith and his son Scott run Griffith Speed and Custom out of one of the former NASCAR garages in the infield pit area. They build, tune, and sell Legends series cars, as well as offering Legends car rentals to people who’d like to try racing or hold a corporate team-building event.

The Griffiths moved here a couple of years ago from South Carolina, and brought their love of racing along. They soon realized that PPIR could still hold races—just not NASCAR races, and maybe not on the big one-mile D-oval—and this year, they set up a three-event Summer Heat Series to see how that might work, using the facility’s infield ¼-mile track.

It hasn’t been easy. They have to bring in everything but the track and offices; those they lease from the owners. That’s why Larry calls it “A Race in a Box:” because they must supply everything necessary to hold a race, then box it all up and take it away when the day is over.

“If you go out to CNS or I-25, you clean off the track and you’re ready to go,” says Scott. “This—this is tough.”

The first two race nights weren’t at all profitable. Couple low car counts with the expense of lighting, which had to be rented (11 towers at about $120 each), and you end up with a loss of “three or four grand,” says Scott. So they decided to try a day race, since I-25 Speedway was done for the season.

“If we break even today, we’ll be happy,” says Scott.

Larry envisions running a full season next year, 16 to 20 races, with a points championship, but scheduling is a problem. They can’t run Saturdays during the season, because I-25 Speedway and Colorado National Speedway have racing those nights. They would like to try Friday nights, but that didn’t work this year, when they held Legends races on Fridays and got little response.

“It ain’t like it is back home,” sighs Scott. “This ain’t really a racing area. Back home, they’ve got racing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”

This track is a challenge for a lot of the drivers. It is dead flat with asymmetrical turns. It is also very small.

The races are run in the small oval in the infield.

“There’s no way that’s a quarter-mile,” says Shelby Cortese, after running a few practice laps. (Scott Griffith calls it a “small quarter-mile, big fifth-mile.”)

There are plenty of spins caused by powering too hard into the flat, narrow corners, and several drivers go into (or through) the invisible “walls,” areas marked by orange traffic cones.

The format today allows for two ten-minute practice sessions for each class of car, then a heat race, then the Main.

At the drivers’ meeting, Larry is overwhelmed by the turnout. Although the car counts are smallish by other tracks’ standards, there are enough cars here to turn a profit for the day. He thanks the drivers for coming out, and then he chokes up and turns the instructions over to Scott.

The first race, the Hornet heat race, includes 11 cars and runs 10 laps. The 64, piloted by George Maldonado today, starts on the pole. Almost immediately, the 06 of Shannon Smith tangles with Katie Calender in the 5 car. She goes to the back.

On the restart, Maldonado goes to the outside, gets hung out to dry, and the entire field passes him. He never recovers, and ends the race in the back.

The winner, coming up from 6th, is Shannon Smith in the 06.

Watching over the proceedings, Larry Griffith is very pleased. “Not as fancy as some tracks,” he says, “but we have everything we need to run races. It’s old-school racing.”

Capacity crowd

That it is: the two small bleacher seating units the Griffiths have brought in don’t provide enough space, so people turn their SUVs and trucks around, and sit on the tailgates to watch the action, munching on burgers and hot dogs bought from a vendor working under a canopy. There is something very cool about seeing this.

Shannon Smith takes control of the 25-lap Hornet Main, working his way up from the back of the pack. The 06 is strong as usual, and he passes cars at will. Smith takes the checkers, and heads for Victory Lane.

Smith doesn't like attention

Smith smiles, but doesn’t want to talk much. The track announcer approaches him with a microphone, asking, “Can you sum up the race for us?” He replies, simply, “I won,” which does, in fact, sum it up.

Later, I ask whether it was the car, the track, or his driving that made the difference, Smith says, “I don’t know, man. I think it was probably a combination of all three.”

He says he’ll be back in a Hornet next season, and probably will be just as quiet then, too.

The sky is clouding up now and the temperature’s dropping. Rain is falling on Pikes Peak, visible on the horizon. Spectators start donning sweatshirts and hoping the rain holds off until racing is complete.

Brian Day starts up front in the six-car Street Stock Main, but he, too, finds that the outside lane is dangerous; it's easy to get hung out to dry, and, when Gary Cortese in the 33 car takes the lead, everyone else passes Day with him. Day is shuffled to the rear in just one lap.

Cortese takes control, but he’s clearly not the fastest car on the track. That distinction goes to the #1 car, driven by Dale Geist. Lap after lap, Geist worries Cortese’s rear bumper, sometimes tapping him.

Cortese holds Geist off for most of the race, but finally Geist sees a small opening, shoves the nose of his car inside and pushes past. After that, the #1 car takes off, and Cortese can’t catch him.

In Victory Lane, Cortese comes up to Geist with a smile. “How’d that happen?” he asks, jokingly.

Geist in his first race--and
win--of the season

“I was waiting for him to make a mistake,” he says. “We were getting closer and closer, and I kinda lost track of the laps. So he got a little wide, and I just piled it in there.”

“He had a way better car,” says Cortese.

There are just three Modified entries: Dan Alamaa in the 8, Jeff Larson, Jr. in the 81, and the 12, driven by Gary Meisman. That won’t stop them from having a race, though.

As the roll onto the track, Meisman has a problem. He gets the car back to the pit, and frantically goes to work finding the problem (the panhard bar has ripped out of the frame) and fixing it, with help from a lot of friends. The officials obligingly delay the race while he grabs a welding torch and crawls under the car.

Repairs complete, Meisman jumps back into the car and gets back onto the track.

From there, he goes on to lead every lap, as Alamaa and Larson fight it out for second place.

The 12 car does a burnout

After taking the checkers, Meisman celebrates by doing a long burnout that fills the air with tire smoke.

“First time I’ve ever been on a flat track,” he says. “The field was small, so that had a lot to do with it.” The irony of the situation is not lost on Meisman, either.

By the way, the rain never did come. At the end of the day, the setting sun cast a few more rays onto the backstretch wall. And, everyone, it seemed, went home happy.

That’s what you want out of a day of racing.

Season's End

2010-09-26T15:01:00.011-06:00

Amber Hunt is angry. She’s also in pain. In a hot lap session a few minutes ago, Hunt, the Hornet series point leader, was running just ahead of Shannon Smith in the 06. Smith, who is second in the points race, was racing her—too hard for a practice session.

When she waved her left hand to signal that she was going into the pits, Smith ran right into her, shoving her car into the wall.

The 14 car after the wreck.

The car, already well-worn from a season of racing, is in bad shape, and although her crew chief, Walt Simpson, is confident it’ll be ready to qualify, Hunt is, in a word, pissed. When Smith walks over to her pit to apologize, she won’t hear it.

“Yeah, he’s always sorry,” she says, bitterly. She rubs her right shoulder, still sore from last week’s Main race wreck, and goes on. “My shoulder was just starting to feel better, and now it hurts again.”

Her points lead was cut down by the wreck last week, and that’s on her mind as well.

She’s sure Smith put her in the wall intentionally during the hot laps—“I was waving my hand out the window, what else can I do?”—but some of Hunt’s crew members aren’t so sure. One tells her he believes Smith was so focused on watching her rear bumper, he didn’t see her gesture.

Either way, Track Manager Mike Lippincott is not happy with the development. He and Pit Steward Aaron Ford decide on a unique penalty for Smith: If Hunt is unable to run the Main, then he won’t be allowed to compete, either.

As a result, Smith spends a lot of time standing at the edge of Hunt’s pit, watching the repairs intently. At one point he again tries to apologize for the incident, but he’s again rebuffed.

The repairs are substantial; at one point, her father, Brian Mater, leaves the track to fetch a new rear axle. The crew works feverishly, but you get the idea that Hunt has, by now, simply given up and just wants the day to end.

“I’ve been done with this for about half the season,” she says. Of course, that could be the pain or the frustration talking.

It is about to get worse for Hunt.

The last weekend of racing at I-25 Speedway comes with larger-than-usual fields in most of the series. It is one of two weeks when only the “home” series race, but there’s still plenty of activity in the pits.

One driver who used to be seen around here a lot, but hasn’t been in a race in years is Earl Andrade. He’s filling in for his son, L.J., who just got married last weekend, driving his #32 Sportsman-series ride.

He’s excited, and it shows. But he has a bit of rust to knock off: when Earl goes out to practice, he gets a little loose and pancakes the right side of the car into the frontstretch wall. The damage looks superficial, just a little bent metal and two flat tires.

His enthusiasm only slightly dampened, he hopes the pit crew can fix it up, and they will. After nine years, a mistake or two is to be expected.

Hunt misses qualifying, but she’s still able to jump in for a bond lap. The bond lap, where drivers gamble $10 that they can better their qualifying time, is usually a chance for then to improve. In this case, since she has no time recorded, the bond lap time will be her qualifying time.

Hunt gives the car a test run

She drives onto the track, makes a warm-up lap, then heads for the green flag, and— nothing. The car suddenly just shuts off. It will have to be towed off the track and back to the pits. Her crew is confused. This shouldn’t happen. The problems caused by the wreck with the 06 were mechanical, not electrical.

Track officials radio over that they will “buy” Hunt one more bond lap, as a gift to the points leader, if she can hurry and get back on the track.

Simpson goes to work changing the only part he can think of: The battery. Hunt sits in the car, but she’s becoming more demoralized by the minute, as she sees the points lead evaporate. Mater gives her a pep talk through the window. It’s a teachable moment, one that lets him remind her of the value of not giving up.

Amber Hunt
Photo by Sunday Wilson

The new battery in place, Hunt goes up the staging chute and back onto the track.
As he runs to the pitside bleachers to watch, he asks, “Did you bring a four-leaf clover? Maybe a Bible? We’re going to need the luck.”

Amber Hunt once again takes a warm-up lap, and then the green flag flies.

And just as before, the car shuts off.

The tow truck comes back out, and delivers her car back to the pits. Now the situation is dire, because even if the car can be repaired, Hunt’s starting position in the Main will suffer.

She climbs out of the cockpit, and Walt Simpson takes her place. In seconds, he spots the problem: the ignition switch housing is cracked. Simpson figures it must have been broken during last week’s crash, and when she runs at speed, he surmises, Hunt’s left knee is bumping it, causing the car to shut off.

He repairs it, a 99-cent part, in about five minutes using zip-ties.

“Wow! You did have a clover,” Mater tells me. “Seriously, we have the best car, the best crew and the best driver. All we have to do is get her head back into the race.”

Andrade does well in qualifying, and is ready for his trophy dash. It is an uneventful race, with Andrade taking the lead when #11 Montie Halley gets into the turn 3 infield dirt and loses momentum. He brings the trophy back to his pit and the crew is joyous.

The senior Andrade after a race

“My crew said I had to get back in [after the hotlaps wreck], and man up,” he says. “I’m having a lot of fun, and the crew stayed with me.

He’s realistic about his chances in the Main: “As long as we bring it home in one piece, we’re fine. Not trying to get in the way of the points leaders.”

And in the 20-lap Main, he does exactly that.

Instead, problems arise between Halley, who is second in points, and #16, Ryan O’Lear. They tangle twice as Halley’s trying to catch the 27 of Anthony Buckley, the points leader. The first incident, in turn 3, sends the 16 into the infield, taking him off the lead lap. O’Lear rejoins the race between Halley and Buckley.

He seems to be running as if he’s still on the lead lap, though, and finally, as Halley attempts once again to get around him on the inside, she shoves the 16 straight into the frontstretch wall as the exit turn 4.

Lippincott, watching from just feet away in turn 4, immediately radios that O’Lear was brake-checking her and that she had no choice but to hit him at full speed. “He was actually locked up in the turn,” says Lippincott.

Head flagman Bill Peruti signals to the 16 to go to the rear of the field, and a second later reports that O’Lear gave him the finger. That’s a black-flag offense, and O’Lear is done for the night.

Buckley takes the checkers easily.

Halley, who also says O’Lear was brake-checking her, doesn’t understand why he did it. “He wasn’t even on the lead lap,” she says.

O’Lear, fresh from a meeting with Aaron Ford in the pit shack, is unrepentant. “Montie needs to find the brake pedal. Two times, she runs me over. She’s afraid to pass anyone on the outside,” he says, heatedly. “The second time, I gave her the whole top of the track, I’m a lap down, and she put me in the wall.”

“I had no reason to brake-check her. I was just trying to finish the race.” He walks off.

There are 20 cars starting the Hornet Main. Marsha James is on the pole, her #53 having once again been tweaked by Gorman James’ “guy” (see last week).

As the field takes the green flag, within the first lap, a melee ensues coming out of turn 2. It seems as if two-thirds of the cars on the track are involved to some degree, and racing is halted for several minutes while the carnage is sorted out. A couple of cars cannot continue.

They line up for the restart, and this time things go much more smoothly…until the pack reaches the backstretch. Another multi-car wreck stops the racing, without completing a lap.

Like football, there’s a game clock involved here. In this case, it is 30 minutes. If the action stops after that time passes, whomever is leading is declared the winner. This race is in danger of reaching that time without having run a full lap.

With the clock at 28 minutes (and four cars down from the original line-up), the field tries again. This time, the start is good and the laps tick away.

The leader is James in the 53, but that changes when she makes contact with the #15 of Sean Frank in turn 2, and the two cars go sliding together into the dirt infield. There’s no caution, but the cloud of dust is enormous and opaque. Peruti warns that he’s going to throw a caution flag if the dust obscures the track.

Emerging from the cloud is the 19, piloted by Shelby Cortese (third in points), and right on her bumper is the 06 of Shannon Smith. These two have been in this position several times before; Smith has more car, but Cortese is more precise. As the cloud clears away, it becomes apparent that Cortese and Smith are going to battle it out to the end.

Smith tries to pass on the inside, he goes for the outside, but he cannot quite seal the deal.
Finally, as the end of the race nears, he gets a run on the 19 car and it looks like it's all over for Cortese: once Smith takes the lead, he can drive away from her.

But just as he’s about to make the pass as they enter turn 1, the hood pins on Smith’s car fail, the hood flies up, blocking his view, and he slows down, then drives into the infield. The caution flag flies, and Cortese is declared the winner. It is her first Main event win.

Shelby Cortese will be moving up to the Street Stock series next year. The Hornet, a Nissan 240SX, was seriously damaged in a wreck at the end of July and, at the time, she said they just wanted to get it running well enough to finish out the season.

Shelby and Katie Callender

It did considerably more than that. Cortese’s best runs of the year have come in the past few weeks.

Now, she looks at it wistfully, and, with a tear in her eye, says simply, “I’m going to miss my car.”

Amber Hunt wins the Hornet championship by six points.

“That was a very good way to end a very stressful day,” she says.

I tell her it’s been fun watching her this season and that I’ll miss seeing her when she goes to college in New York.

“Oh…I may go to DU,” she says with a glint in her eye. “Then I can run Street Stocks down here on weekends.”

[Editor's Note: Due to a mix-up, the 16 car from the Street Stocks series was listed as the cause of a caution in the Hornet race. That's been fixed. I apologize for the error.]

[Editor’s Note: That’s the end of the season at I-25 Speedway, but not the end of this column. Keep checking back and watching for Facebook updates on new material. For complete results and standings, go to the I-25 Speedway website.]

Wreckfest

2010-09-19T15:33:00.003-06:00

Isaac Sherman has never raced a Late Model before, but he’s gained racing experience quickly and thinks he’s ready to make the move up. The 15-year-old has been racing for just over a year, and has seen considerable success in the Legends series. Tonight, he’ll give I-25 Speedway a shot in a Late Model racecar.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico teen has big plans; he’s going to be doing some testing in North Carolina shortly for a car in the K&N Pro Series East car. He even has the same driving coach as current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Alex Kennedy.

Isaac Sherman hotlapping

“I’ve really been wanting to do this for a long time,” says Isaac, as he gets his #01 car ready for hotlaps.

He describes his driving style as “smooth, not real aggressive, try not to bump anybody.”

“He’s only turned, oh, maybe 30 laps in this car,” his father, Chris Sherman says. “Car’s got a flat-track, half-mile setup, so we’re about a second off the pace right now.”

“Yeah, we’re running a really long gear. I’m full-throttle halfway through the corner,” adds Isaac.

“We don’t really know what to expect tonight, but we’ll see,” says Chris.

Tonight, the focus is on the Hornet class, with the 35-lap feature race, the “Hornet Hoedown.” There are 24 Hornets entered tonight, enough to force the dreaded B-Main race. That means four cars won’t make the A-Main.

Gorman James signals to Marsha

Some drivers are more confident than others. Marsha James, for example, is very pleased with her car. Gorman James, her father, says he had the well-known “guy” (You know, “I’ve got a guy who…”) looking at the #53 Mitsubishi, replacing the car’s computer, which hadn’t been working right for several weeks. Between that and some smaller tweaks like correcting the toe-in, Gorman believes Marsha can go from the high 17-second range into the high 16’s.

Then there’s Amber Hunt. She’s looking at her last two races in the Hornet series, and possibly ever. Amber’s applying to college at New York University, Georgetown, and the University of Illinois. Those are all a long way from here, which is what she wants: a completely different experience.

They are also very expensive schools, and Hunt will most likely work during the summer, which will limit any returns home to a week or two, tops. That will leave no time for racing.

If she’s sad to be leaving the track, she doesn’t show it. Hunt has pointed out before that she isn’t interested in what she calls the “drama” in the pits; she wishes people could “just race and then congratulate each other afterwards.”

It is ironic that Hunt’s done well in the Hornets, because to all appearances, she doesn’t really have a passion for racing—at least, not more than as a weekend game. But as she put it, “I’m done with this series anyway.”

After thinking for a moment, she does admit she’ll miss “parts of it. The people.” Which makes sense, because the pits here are like a family.

Cole Roberson signs an autograph

In anticipation of the Hornet feature, the 24 drivers participate in a meet-and-greet event. They line up their cars on the frontstretch, and fans stream out of the stands to come down, get autographs, and find out that Hornet drivers are just like them.

It is my chance to talk with driver of the 06, Shannon Smith. This man re-defines the word “reticent,” taking it to a whole new level. He’s the driver who won last week’s Hornet Main, only to walk away when track owner Perry White approached him with a PA microphone to talk about the race.

“He sort of blinded-sided me,” says Smith. “I don’t like to talk about myself.”

That is an understatement.

Then again, sometimes it comes in handy, like last week, when that win was thrown out because officials ruled the suspension springs on the 06 were illegal. Smith kept his mouth shut, at least in public, about how he felt. He’s a little more…expressive…today.

“That was unfortunate,” I offer.

“It was bulls***,” he counters.

Anyway, he picked up the quick time today, though he was too quick, as it turns out: he qualified at 15.915 seconds and had to add 50 pounds of ballast as a result of breaking the 16-second barrier. This concerns Smith not at all. He’s happy with his car this week, saying it has a lot of grip, which he attributes to his tires. “These Goodyear tires are real good. Don’t know why everyone else runs those Japanese tires.”

And that’s about all I can get out of him.

Hard racing in the Hornet trophy dash: With two laps complete, #19 Shelby Cortese, who started on the pole, leads the pack and John Cotton in the 98 is battling for the spot. When the 17 of Amber Moore joins the fray and tries to get past him, she slips, slamming Cotton into the wall hard.

Cotton's car looks terminal

The 98 looks all but destroyed, but Cotton’s crew will go to work on it anyway.

“She got loose and I was in the way,” he says, sitting in his car, looking a little dazed. “If we can get it fixed, maybe we can get in from the B-Main.”

Back on the track, Cortese must defend against Shannon Smith for the lead. He is all over the rear bumper, and has a fast car. He tries to go high, he tries to go low, but she holds her line and leads the rest of the race. Despite Smith’s best efforts, Cortese wins the trophy dash.

“I could hear him,” she laughs. “I drove a consistent line. I saw him behind me, and I know he’s not going to drive me dirty, so I just drive my race and hope he doesn’t get by me.”

When last we left Marsha James, she was newly-confident about her car’s performance. Now she’s on the pole in her heat race, having qualified with a 17.250, just as Gorman had predicted.

The 53 is indeed strong, and Marsha holds off the ever-present 45 of Rebecca Simpson for her first-ever win.

“I kept my rhythm, and just drove,” she says, before yelling, “I did it!”

“I’m shaking so bad—but now I know I can do it.”

The controversy of the night comes in the Late Model race, when five cars end up tangled in a wreck in Turn 2. It ends with all the cars up against the wall in a nasty pile of metal, and the drivers are lucky to get out of their cars—the 72, 00, 6, 23, and 38—without injury.

As always, there are differing views of what actually transpired. Sam McComb, #72, says he was hit from behind and forced into the other cars. He points to a crumpled rear quarter-panel as evidence.

The remnants of McComb's car

The other drivers involved claim McComb, who was on the inside going into turn 1, drove up into them on his own.

Track Manager Mike Lippincott makes a decision: “I’m sorry, but you’re suspended indefinitely.

“I was watching, and nobody [else] said they saw you shoved from behind.”

McComb is confused and angry. “So don’t come back here anymore?”

Lippincott is firm. “Not in a racecar, no.”

There’s a lot of discussion by the drivers whose cars were wrecked, mostly in angry tones, and the subtext is that McComb is too old for this game. At 69, he might be, but no one can say for sure that age caused or contributed to the wreck. Some drivers threaten violence—one tells a member of McComb’s family that, were it anyone else, he would have knocked him out.

Security Chief John Gordon stays in the pit area, trying to calm people down.

“Come on, when you get to be his age, you’re going to want to race, too,” he tells a driver.

“I ain’t gonna do this,” he replies, gesturing at his wrecked car.

“You say you ain’t. You will,” Gordon says, with a chuckle. “He’s just a regular guy. Wants to have fun.

“Come on, he’s a good guy.”

The trouble doesn’t end with the dash. In the main, Isaac Sherman in the 01 is collected in a wreck that results when the 66 of Richard Pratt races Sherman a little too hard, pinches him down into the dirt, and the 01 gets sideways and shoots back up the track.

That incident takes out both cars.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” says Isaac. “Could have been avoided.”

Dickey, after his win

The winner of the Late Model Main is Greg Dickey, in Charlie Wilson’s car. Dickey hasn’t been racing here for several years.

“I got a guy nice enough that, he wasn’t feeling well, so he put me in the car for the night,” says Dickey. “I started up front, had to maintain my position. There were a couple of really fast guys out there, but it was clean sailing.”

It is time for the Feature, the “Hornet Hoedown,” which is accompanied by the music most people nowadays know from the “Beef—It’s What’s for Dinner” campaign, “Hoedown,” by Aaron Copland. (Aaron Ford, the Pit Steward, suggested that “Hoedown Throwdown,” by Miley Cyrus, might be more appropriate, but he didn’t get his way.)

Marsha James starts on the pole.

The race quickly deteriorates into a wreckfest. On the first lap, coming out of turn 4, the 14, which was in a tight, three-wide pack, gets sideways and takes the 42, the 96 and the 50 out. The ambulance comes to the track because Ashley VanDresser is “shook up,” but it turns out that the more serious injury is Cole Roberson. He takes his car to the pits, and soon, they’re calling for the ambulance to come down there.

Roberson has hit the steering wheel hard; he looks more than just winded. VanDresser gets out of the ambulance and the paramedics examine their new patient. They decide he should go to the hospital. Roberson will end his night with a torn rotator cuff.

After an extended red flag period for clean-up, racing gets underway again…for a lap. Leann Buchanan’s 16 loses a tire. Luckily, she spins into the frontstretch infield alone, and racing’s on again.

And so it goes. Wreck after wreck, cars go off the track and return later (including the 53, as Marsha James takes a spin on lap 8), and in the end, the 06 of Shannon Smith and Shelby Cortese in the 19 are once again up front. He’s leading, but she is closing the gap in her best run of the year. Together, they whip around lapped traffic, with Cortese gaining on Smith every lap.

Then, in what looks like good news for Cortese, a caution at the critical time, as the laps are winding down. The re-start will bunch up the field and put Cortese right on the 06’s rear bumper.

But things have somehow changed, and Cortese’s magic has gone away. Her car is loose now, and she can’t run with Smith any longer.

Smith looks at his car in tech.

An hour and eight minutes after the 35-lap race began, Smith takes the checkers.

He’s predictably quiet, making a few comments, laughing when a friend says, “You finally won one legally, huh?’

“Yeah, finally.”

“Longest race I ever ran,” says Cortese, summing up the night.

The Long Race

2010-09-12T15:02:00.009-06:00

It is Autumn now, and racing has returned to I-25 Speedway. The heat of the day is less intense, and everyone anticipates a nice, cool evening of racing. Tonight is the Grand American Modified 100-lap Fall Classic, paying $2,000 to win (and $150 to start). In the world of non-professional racing, this is big money, and 23 cars show up to try to win it.

The original plan was for a 22-car maximum field, but track owner Perry White has agreed that one more car won’t be a problem. That’s good, because the alternative is to create a B-Main race, breaking a portion of the field into another race. Only some of those cars. say the top four, would transfer to the A-Main race.

Mindy McCord changes a tire

Drivers who normally run other tracks or series are here, like Mindy McCord, the 16-year-old who drives the 26 car in NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Developmental Series, and Cheyenne’s Jason McClure in the 3. They join locals like Kyle Shanahan who hasn’t been racing this year, but chose this race for his first Modified outing, and the 05 of Randy Eacker, a former track champion who put his car together just for this race.

The 12 car goes topless for the night

Some drivers, Gary Meisman running the #12 among them, have chosen to go “topless” for this race, removing the roof panels of their cars. There’s been a groundswell of sentiment among fans online for this alternation, but most cars remain intact.

Over in his pit, Dan Alamaa is assembling his HANS Device (Head And Neck Support), designed to protect the driver’s skull in the case of a sudden impact, and marveling at how it is engineered. It came into play the last time he drove the Bud 8 car, when he wrecked…and found out first-hand that it works in real life.

“It’s weird, I put it on and then moved my head like this”—here he tips his chin down to his neck—“and I thought, ‘What good will that do?’ But I found out. In a wreck, your head snaps forward, not down.” He looks at the simple gadget attached to his helmet. “And I felt that. My head didn’t move at all.”

Hot laps begin, and so does trouble. In the first session, Mindy McCord makes contact with the #1 of Jay Fields in turn 3. McCord’s car is not damaged, but Fields’ is in
serious trouble. He limps the wounded car back to his pit, and his crew finds that the rear end is now offset from the front by a goodly amount.

Jay Fields works on his car

When McCord returns to her pit a few minutes later, there’s a mild confrontation. “Why don’t you go back to Montana and run go-karts for a few more years?” asks one crewmember.

“During practice? You had to wreck him during practice?” says Fields’ spotter (and fiancée), Tia Cox.

Track Manager Mike Lippincott comes over to find out what happened.

“I followed him for four laps. I was faster, so I got inside to pass him, and he wasn’t clear when he came down,” she says. “None of that was intentional. I feel really bad.”

Lippincott nods. “My flagman said he went high and you tried to go inside and he came back down.” Satisfied that there was no malice involved, he moves on.

Cox, his spotter, sees the situation a little differently. “It was practice. You don’t have to race people during practice. I was reaching for the (microphone) button to warn him. You don’t expect to have to say, ‘They’re looking on the inside—watch out.’”

Repairs on the #1 car will go on for most of the day, and will require someone to go fetch a welding torch from the shop.

Street Stocks are among the other series racing this week, and there are plenty of entries in this class as well. This includes a driver from Cheyenne, Bubba Willox, who pilots the 57. He has a very clean, damage-free car and a well-stocked hauler trailer.

He also has an engine with a 10-to-1 compression ratio. This is what he’s allowed to run at his home track, Colorado National Speedway, but here the rule is 9-to-1. In order to make the 57 car roughly equal to the rest of the field, Lippincott orders him to add 100 pounds of extra weight.

At first, Willox balks, saying he won’t race. Lippincott stands firm. “If our guys go somewhere else, they have to obey that track’s rules. Besides, I could add 250 pounds to the car, so he’s lucky.”

Eventually, Willox relents and starts looking for safe places to add the ballast. His car turns out to be pretty fast, even with the extra weight; he qualifies second with a 14.797, just behind Ryan McFadden’s 14.778.

Sarah Woods sings the national anthem

About 7pm, a new Grand American Modified car rolls into the pits on a trailer. It’s the 66, sponsored by M&Ms, and with a brand-new paint job. Mike Maldonado is the driver; he ran hotlaps last night but broke a part, and has been working to get a new one and have the car ready for tonight.

His arrival presents a problem, though: Perry White has already told Lippincott and Pit Steward Aaron Ford how many cars would be too many on the ¼-mile track.

“He’s not gonna let us run 24,” says Ford, so now he and Lippincott shift into high gear and quickly prepare to set up a B-Main race.

Ford quickly tallies the cars that will be in that race, and Lippincott sets off on his ATV to deliver the bad news to the affected teams. He’s informed a couple of them when Ford comes up and tells him not to bother.

Maldonado, it seems, does not want to be the cause of this particular situation. Rather than force a second race, he’ll sit the night out.

The Street Stocks Main finds the #88 on the pole. When the green flag drops, rookie JimBob Bradley instantly finds himself in a world of trouble. He starts to slip back by turn 2, and then, on the frontstretch, drives up onto the 42 as it rolls past. And by “drives up,” I mean literally: the 88 is on the inside, when suddenly, the right side is off the ground. JimBob travels about 200 feet on just his left-side tires. For a moment, it looks as if the 88 will roll over; the car is riding at about a 45-degree angle. Finally, he breaks loose of the 42 and the car slams to the pavement.

As he fades to the back, Gary Cortese in the 33 and Bubba Willox in the 57 surge forward. This is a real battle: the 57 clearly still has more power than the 33, and nudges ahead of Cortese as they run down the straightaways, but Cortese is on the inside and drives deeper into the corners, preventing Willox from sealing the deal.

He does this over and over, until Willox makes contact in turn 3 and cuts down a tire. He leaves the track and leaves the win to Cortese.

“Leader didn’t want to give it up,” he says afterwards. “I had a faster car, but he didn’t give me room and ran me into the wall.”

Cortese accepts congratulations for his win

“Hey, he had a much faster car,” says Cortese. “But as the leader, I get to take all the track I want, and I took all that I thought was mine.”

Later, Cortese would go over to talk with Willox, and tells me he said, “You guys are tough competitors here!”

In the 100-Lap Modified Main, the 3 car starts on the pole, with the 12 on the outside. Meisman is having a good night, getting a solid jump, and then holding it for several restarts. Jeff Larsen, Jr. and the 81 is in the mix as well.

Jay Fields’ car, never the same after the incident with McCord, ends up near it during the course of the race. “Watch the 1 and the 26,” says a voice over the officials’ radio. “They have a history tonight.” But if there was any plan for retaliation, it never materializes. Fields’ car leaves the track with another mechanical issue.

Meanwhile, quietly working his way up from far back in the pack is Dan Alamaa. The 12 develops a problem and drives into the infield to escape the pack, and suddenly, it’s the 81 leading the 8. They take off together, leaving Hobbs’ 3 car far behind.

Then Alamaa sees his chance to use a lapped car as a pick and get around the 81. Soon, he’s a full straightaway ahead of Jeff Larsen, Jr.

It looks as if Alamaa will lap the field when the 55, driven by Dean Olsen, goes for a spin in turn 4 and brings out the caution. That’s not what Alamaa wanted to see—it bunches up the field and brings the 81 and 3 back to his bumper—but he doesn’t let it affect him, even when Larsen’s 81 runs into his rear bumper on the restart. The 8 takes off as if he’s been given a wake-up call.

Then, in lap 94, trouble. Smoke begins coming from Alamaa’s car. It’s not a tire, and the officials do not show him the “meatball” flag. He keeps pushing the 8 car in spite of the smoke.

The car stays in one piece, he takes the checkers, and collects the $2,000 check.

“It’s kinda nice getting those big paychecks,” he says later.

“Paychecks? You’re buying dinner,” says Brian Mater, with a smile.

Alamaa after his win

“On those restarts, the car didn’t want to go,” adds Alamaa. “He [the 81] was hungry, and I figured I better get my ass in gear.”

Alamaa claims he wasn’t concerned about Gary Hobbs, despite his early strong showing. “I was worried most about Jeff, ‘cause he got ahead of me and he was the fastest car I knew of. I knew we were going to have to settle it.”

“Now, we’re gonna party down a little bit.”

Dan Alamaa's CNS Adventure

2010-09-05T09:21:00.009-06:00

[Editor’s Note: The I-25 Speedway hiatus continues this week, so I traveled with I-25 regular Dan Alamaa to Colorado National Speedway north of Denver, where he ran the Pepsi Labor Day Shootout, a 100-lap Late Model event.]

“This is the hard part,” says Dan Alamaa with a smile. He and his team have rolled into the CNS pits, set up, and sent his #28 Bud Light car through Tech Inspection. Now he has an hour until the Late Model hot lap session.

Think it's expensive to fill up your car?

Tech was an interesting experience for the visiting team. First, because track officials had no way to know what kind of fuel was in the tank, Alamaa was required to dump it and refill the tank from the track’s Sunoco pump. This cost him $106, at $7.45 a gallon. Then there was the matter of the car’s width and steel-head engine: both were larger than what the “home” teams run, so Alamaa was required to add 50 pounds of ballast. And the car’s oil plug needed to be drilled for a safety wire, so it wouldn’t fall off during a race.

None of this seemed unreasonable to Alamaa, and he accepted it cheerfully, walking away with a handful of contingency decals (which he didn’t apply) and a required sponsor windshield decal, Speedy’s Auto Sales.com (which he did apply).

Applying the sponsor decal

The winner of this race will take home about $2,200, which isn’t as much as it seems.

“We’ve probably spent over a thousand dollars just to get here today,” says Alamaa. Two sets of tires and that fuel mounts quickly. He adds, “So it don’t pay. But it sure is fun.”

“I’m hoping for a top-ten finish,” he predicts. “Top-five would be nice. Don’t think we’re going to win it.”

Alamaa, who hasn’t raced here in five years, has a specific plan for today: During the 30-minute hot lap session, he will go out with scuffed tires that were used in a previous race, check out the car and the track, then come in, put on a set of sticker tires, go back out and get them a little scuffed before the hot laps session ends.

The turns are a little bumpy

The 3/8th-mile track is rough. It has pretty good-sized dips in the center of both turns 1 and 2 and in turns 3 and 4. Alamaa is concerned about learning where the bumps are and getting a feel for the track.

Finally, it is time to go out. The cars stream onto the flat oval (banking is just seven degrees in the turns), and start their hot laps. The session is quickly interrupted by a car wrecking in turn 1 and slamming against the wall; the red flag is thrown.

After about 15 minutes, hot laps resume. Several laps later, Alamaa is running at speed when he feels a bump behind him in the car, sees the RPMs go sky-high, and suddenly, he has no power. He uses momentum to coast into the pits. The 28 car is leaking an ominous stream of fluid as it rolls in.

"Anybody have a spare rear-end?"

The news is devastating: The car’s rear-end housing has been destroyed. The gear that transmits power from the drive shaft to the rear axle has failed, and when that happened, the rest of the components in the rear-end housing were instantly turned into a pile of metal shards. Then the housing itself failed, breaking in half, and spilling its oil, which according to crewmember Floyd Weeks, “isn’t supposed to happen.”

Shrapnel that used to be a rear-end gear

Not knowing exactly how they’re going to fix the problem—they don’t have the required parts and aren’t even sure which parts failed yet—Alamaa’s crew nevertheless begins repairs. All the driver can do is watch. He is well aware that the three men working on the housing don’t need his help, nor is there room for him to get in there anyway.

Among those who stop by the pit are I-25 Speedway managers Mike Lippincott and Aaron Ford. They’re on a busman’s holiday, here to watching racing without having to moderate the events.

As they watch the repairs being made, Lippincott shakes his head. “I sure hope they can fix it. It sucks to have to come all this way and put your car back on the trailer.” He shakes his head again. “Happened to me many times.”

Asking other teams for parts, which usually produces results, gets them nowhere. No one, it seems, is carrying spare rear-end parts. The major concern is the cover for the using itself, which breaks so infrequently that no one bothers to bring along extras. John Witthar, a track official who knows Alamaa, finally says, “I’ll get it,” and disappears.

He returns twenty minutes later with a new housing cover, retrieved from his own shop. Between that critical part and various pieces the crew has in its hauler (like the gear itself), they are in business.

Nearly two hours after the disaster, a voice from under the car announces, “Looks good.” The car is repaired and ready to go.

Well, mostly. The alternator belt pulley is also damaged, and a replacement nut can’t be located. “Don’t need it,” says Alamaa, but that means he won’t have anything electrical, like his helmet cooler, fans to cool the brakes, or rear-end cooler; the battery, which will be discharging the whole time he’s on the track, must be allowed to power the engine.

Alamaa hopes the heat of the day will dissipate quickly as the sun goes down. Then, they can re-charge the battery between the heat race and the Main.

His plan, of course, has gone out the window, since he’s missed the remainder of the hot laps session, and he isn’t even 100% sure the car, with untested repairs, will really run at all. He won’t find out until the heat race, which is about to start.

The ten-lap heat race will have a ten-car field, about half the total number of Late Models at the track, or about the usual field size for a Main at I-25 Speedway on an average night.

The race starts with trouble as the pace car’s lights go off, signaling one lap to go, while the cars aren’t even in their double-file lines yet. The drivers hurry to form up, and when they hit turn 4 as the green flies, a melee ensues, with cars piling into each other.

“Not sure what happened there,” says the track announcer. “That was a total disaster.” No one sustains serious damage, and the cars are sorted out and lined up for a re-start.

Alamaa has an uneventful race after that, and finishes the heat mid-pack. His car seems to be running fine, although the crew gets a scare when they find it leaking fluid after the race. Luckily, the “leak” turns out to be the radiator, which was overfilled before going out, and is just dumping excess water.

“That was fun. It was pretty intense,” says Alamaa after the heat.

Lippincott and Ford are watching the night’s races from the pitside grandstands. Lippincott’s not been here since he raced at CNS about a decade ago, and Ford was last at the track in 2006. They are impressed with the sizes of the fields for the races, and the level of financial commitment shown by the teams, which translates to larger crowds, which, in turn, makes larger purses possible, and the cycle repeats.

The pair knows Lippincott’s counterpart at CNS, Scotty Backman, and are very complimentary.

…until the first Main race, when the drivers are introduced to the music of “Bad to the Bone,” by George Thorogood. “Hey! He stole my idea!” says Lippincott, only partially kidding.

“Yeah, and you stole half his rulebook,” Ford reminds him, snickering.

Dan Alamaa starts mid-pack for the Late Model Main, in tenth position. Throughout the 100 lap race, he will endure multiple re-starts for trouble caused by the same car, the 8 of Larry Hunter, who spins himself over and over; at one point, he gets into another car, leaving his right-side door panel flapping in the wind. “Geez, why don’t they just black-flag this guy?” asks Ford. The 8 does pull off the surface on his own, although he returns later.

Then the 9 car, driven by Nick Burton, spins just ahead of Alamaa in turn 3. He makes contact with a second car, but Alamaa manages to go low, split the two and squeeze past without damage.

Alamaa is able to pass two cars, but he can do no better, never quite catching Bruce “The Moose” Yackey for seventh. Up front, Chris Eggleston in the 22 battles to catch the 42 car for dozens of laps, but points-leader Ronnie Hults holds him off.

Finally, the hapless 8 car, which has returned to the race, cuts down a tire with just five laps remaining, bringing out a caution. On the re-start, up-and-coming NASCAR driver Eggleston gets a jump on the 42 and takes the lead for good.

Alamaa's happy with his eighth-place finish

Dan Alamaa is happy with his 8th place finish. Still, “I was loose on that last run, maybe I wore out the tires, or I could have managed a top-five.”

“You’re up on the wheel the whole time here,” he reflects. “It’s not like good ol’ I-25.”

“I’m still shaking,” he finishes with a grin.

Next Week: Back at I-25 Speedway for a 100-lap Grand American Modified feature race.

The Cheyenne Experience

2010-08-29T14:54:00.006-06:00

[Editor’s Note: With I-25 Speedway on a two-week break for the State Fair, four teams decided to head up to Cheyenne, Wyoming to run at Big Country Speedway this week. They were Sportsman #11, Montie Halley; and Hornets 19, Shelby Cortese; 45, Rebecca Simpson; and 98, John Cotton, who frequently runs at BCS.]

“It’s just a show, Scott. It’s just a show that happens to have racecars in it.” –Gary Cortese, during a race at BCS.

The food at Big Country Speedway is outstanding. With a full food service kitchen on-site, patrons can enjoy a wide variety of food, choosing from a menu that rivals many stand-alone restaurants’ offerings. You can have anything from your basic hamburger to the Speedway Spud or Texas favorite Chili Fritos with Cheese (Texans call this Frito Pie). Pizza slices, chicken sandwiches, you name it.

The BCS Menu (click to enlarge).

I can personally recommend the Chili Cheese Burger and the Deep Fried Suzy Q. The latter is a surprisingly good confection-within-a-shell. If you’re a fan of deep fried food, you might also try the Deep Fried Pickle, sliced specifically to allow for more fried battery goodness, or the Deep Fried Oreo. Of course, fair-favorite Deep Fried Twinkies are available as well.

The prices are surprisingly low, with each weekend featuring a different $6.50 “meal special.” This weekend, it included the BBQ Chicken Sandwich. As the kitchen workers offering free samples in the pits pointed out, the chicken had been marinated for several hours before cooking, and tasted like it. If I hadn’t been full already, I would have gone for it.

What?

You want to hear about the racing Saturday night?

Okay. But you’ll be sorry.

Big Country Speedway is a 1/5-mile (a “small” 1/4-mile) D-shaped paved oval. At that size, it is practically all turns, with just a short straight section on the backstretch. It is just about flat; the banking in the turns is roughly the same as the straight sections at I-25 Speedway, about 7 degrees.

Built in 1953 as a dirt track, and converted shortly thereafter to asphalt, BCS is a nice facility, with concrete slabs for every pit, the aforementioned kitchen facility, a Demolition Derby-ready dirt infield, and transponder-based scoring that displays the time of each car on the scoreboard as it passes the start-finish line.

Like a lot of tracks, BCS was originally out in the sticks, but recently, Cheyenne has grown and houses are beginning to surround the track. Of course, those residents who bought near a racetrack are now complaining about noise, so new Track Manager Jerry Hargraves has tried to appease them by limiting the sound level.

Hmm?

Oh, the racing.

Right. Well, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Shelby Cortese is excited about her first trip to BCS. She’s wanted to see what this place is like since here father, Street Stock racer Gary Cortese, ran here five years ago. It is her first trip to another track, and she is looking forward to running with drivers she’s never raced against. Her crew today consists of Gary and the brother Andrew. They arrive early, and set up at soon as they’re allowed into the pit area.

The “Pueblo Pits” are quickly established by the Corteses and the haulers of the 45 and 98 right next to them, plus the Wisthoff hauler, which arrives a bit later.

Shelby goes to work changing her tires. She has four new ones, mounted on stock black rims. This won’t do (“These are ugly—rusted and nasty.”), since her car is white with brown and pink trim, so she quickly paints them gloss brown.

Painting her wheels

The Hornet series is called the Junkyard Warriors at BCS, a name I find somewhat demeaning to the class, but the drivers don’t much care.

Gary is proud to bring Shelby to BCS. “She doesn’t have butterflies that I can see,” he says. “A true competitor wants to race against anyone, anywhere, and the new blood we’re gonna find here is the exciting part.”

Maybe.

Montie Halley and her crew, headed up by Aaron Paulsen (#84 Grand American Modified driver) and including JimBob Bradley (#88 Street Stock) and several others, pull in a little later than they would have liked.

Halley gets ready to race

JimBob, by the way, turns out to have quite the sense of humor when he’s crewing and not tensed-up for competition.

BCS has an odd hot laps/qualifying policy, where the driver’s fastest hot lap time is also their qualifying time. Halley climbs into the #11 and heads out onto the tiny track, only to find that she’s putting up times .80 behind the closest competitor. She pulls off and scratches her head. Her time best time is a 14.670 and the leader is running a 13.797

The reason becomes clear when Paulsen starts scouting around the pits: the other Sportsmen are running Hoosier racing slicks, which Paulsen thought was illegal according to the BCS rulebook. (“Mandatory tires are Hoosier 700 series on both the left and right side.”) Apparently, the rules are…flexible.

“Dang it, I had four slicks ready to go at home,” he says with a sigh.

Another reason that Halley is turning times so far behind the leader is that Brian Ott, the leader, is driving a Grand American Modified. Ott is the only GAM driver at the track, so he was (as best as they can tell) thrown in with the Sportsmen. The field totals five cars.

If Halley was worried about having missed three hotlap/qualifying sessions, she didn’t need to be. Turns out, most of the local drivers show up late, so the track accommodates them by continuing to hold hotlap/qual sessions until everyone’s run several. (I lost count, but think there were at least five.) The crew continues to tweak the car, but they make only small gains.

It is about this time that I start to smell something other than the delicious Fried Suzy Qs. It is a feeling that Hargraves considers the rules very flexible.

The two fastest Warriors in the ten-car field are John Cotton and Shelby Cortese. Rebecca Simpson is sixth-quickest. Cotton, the bright blue-haired 22-year-old, routinely takes the quick time here in the 98 car, and this has led to problems.

Take last week, for example: Cotton was about to lap the field for the second time, when Jerry Hargraves red-flagged the race halfway through, ordering an invert and then having the field run backwards (right-turns) for the remainder of the race.

Well, sure. Remember back in 1973, when Yarborough and Petty lapped the field three times at Charlotte, and NASCAR did the same thing?

No. You do not, because that didn’t happen. Putting drivers on the side nearest the wall is dangerous, for starters. It also punishes the best racers and tries to help the slowest by giving them a gift they don’t merit.

I wonder aloud if Hargraves also gave all the losers an ice-cream cone and a ribbon.

As for Cotton? “He [Hargraves] told me my suspension was suspect, and that if it was legal, it would run just as fast the opposite direction,” Cotton says. “I was faster. Still won.”

This story has Shelby worried. She still has her right wrist in an Ace bandage from the wreck a month ago, and doesn’t think she could maneuver the car in right turns.

She needn't be concerned about that. A different plan to make the show “interesting” is in the works.

As I watch other classes running their trophy dashes, I see a car get very loose in turn 3 and spin into the infield. The driver was clearly not punted by anyone—he just lost it. I make a mental note that he’ll go to the back, and am astonished to see him get back on the track and re-take his spot. I am simply amazed when the announcer says the spin was a “racing incident,” and he’ll get his position back.

"What? A 'racing incident'?"

So, apparently, is everyone else from Wisthoff Motorsports. They immediately start describing everything as a “racing incident.” As best as they can tell, you can only lose a race if someone passes you—mistakes are erased, even if you alone were responsible for them.

Meanwhile, in Halley’s heat race, she struggles with the car. In the final lap, as she approaches the checkers, the 72 of Wendi Lewis, running outside, is cleared to come down to the inside before she’s all the way past Halley’s 11. Lewis hits Halley’s front right quarter-panel and spins. Halley is black-flagged.

That means little—she wasn’t going to win—but Paulsen is worried. He approaches an official and asks what kind of rule allows a car to hold the line and be penalized for rough driving. The official says Lewis was hit. Paulsen is exasperated. “So she [Halley] has to lift and give up the line if someone else wants it? That’s not racing.”

Seeing that he’s not getting anywhere, he gives up, shaking his head as he walks back to the pits.

Shelby runs very well in her trophy dash. Too well, it seems. She comes in second by about a foot after working her way to the front, from the rear, after the typical invert. Five seconds longer, and she would have won the race.

Too fast?

Word comes that the track will use what they euphemistically call an “Extreme Start” for the Warriors Main. Translation: The four slowest cars will take the green, then the four cars that were next-fastest will drive onto the track as the original four are half-way around, then the two fastest (Shelby and Cotton) will enter, one lap down.

“You’ll be fine,” Hargraves assures them. With a thirty-lap race, “you’ll have plenty of time to catch them.”

Shelby’s doesn't mind, but Cotton protests. “What if I win? Do I start two laps down next time?”

Hargraves smiles and says, “You might” as he walks away.

The cars stage in three lines. Gary Cortese, who refuses to be anything but upbeat, stands near me atop the pitside grandstands at the race begins and says, “It’s just a show, Scott. It’s just a show that happens to have racecars in it.”

I’m sensing by this time that he’s right. Hargraves is more interested in providing a show for the fans (who, tonight, were admitted for free) and helping the newbie drivers than in holding a bona fide race competition.

The “Extreme Start” goes off smoothly to my surprise, and the 98 and 14 start picking off cars off by one. Starting from the pole is the 45 of Simpson, who holds onto the lead, driving her usual solid race.

But Shelby runs into trouble as she heads for the front: the 98 passes the 6 car of James Moody, a visiting driver from Nebraska, easily, but he refuses to let the much faster 19 go by.

Lap after lap, he blocks. High, then low. Threatening to hit the 19 as she pulls her nose inside. Shelby backs off in a puff of tire smoke.

Shelby is known for being a clean racer who doesn‘t hit others who are in the way, but she finally gives Moody a shove. It isn’t enough, and, afraid of damaging her car, she doesn‘t try again.

At one point, the flagman atop the stand points a flag at Moody (no way to know what color, as it is rolled up). Whatever this means, it has no effect. No penalty. The official sitting in the lawn chair in turn two (without flags) never says or does anything. The two officials in turn four spend most of their time prepping for the next race.

Cotton continues his march to the front, but he can’t catch Simpson, who takes the checkers, while he settles for second.

Rebecca Simpson had a good night

Simpson is jubilant, but Shelby is livid.

“I went high and he tried to put me in the wall!”

Gary talks to Hargraves in their trailer.

Hargraves and Cortese have at it

“Come on. All we wanted is a fair race. We came a long way for this,” Gary says.

“I guess I’ll have to talk to my officials about it. I don’t know why they didn’t do anything,” Hargraves says. “I’m not arguing your point.”

What was that ‘pointing the flag’ thing?” asks JimBob rhetorically. “Someone does that to me, I’m just gonna wave back. That doesn’t mean anything.”

Paulsen points to the bumper. “I think it was time to use this on him. That’s what you have to do sometimes.”

By the way, did I mention that there's no purse money awarded in the Warrior series?

Halley has discovered that her Hoosier tires have worn oddly at this track. She goes into her Main without much hope, although she starts on the pole. Her car drops back almost immediately and she soon finds herself battling David Wood’s 4 for last.

Not surprisingly, Ott’s #2 Modified wins.

While most of the people with whom I talked had fun, it was certainly an eye-opening experience for me. I assumed that race officials would let the race be the entertainment everywhere, and this was the first time I have seen such manipulation of rules. I heard some interesting stories about other nights and other events which lead me to believe this Saturday wasn’t unique.

Sometimes you get the bear...

I doubt I’ll find out in person. Like the racers who have apparently abandoned the track in the past couple of years, leaving a third or more of the (nice concrete) pits empty, I won’t be back.

But the food's great.